The Secret War
by Tiberii
Summary: Like every Sunday night, Yang once again sneaks out of the dorm to meet a certain person... Alternate continuity where Cinder's faction is trying everything to prevent a catastrophic event. Rated M for restraintless writing. Designed as a slightly darker alternative to the official storyline, splitting from the series after Volume 3 Episode 5. On hiatus until further notice.
1. Chapter 1: Nightly Visit

**Chapter 1: Nightly Visit**

It was around midnight. Finally, all the others were asleep. Yang carefully climbed out of her bed. No time for getting changed. She just put on her boots and left as quietly as possible. How many nights had it been now since that day, when they failed to stop the train, when she was defeated by that pink-haired shitface, but saved by that woman? The Vytal Festival was in full swing, they had just emerged victorious against Neon Katt and Flynt Coal in the doubles round. And every Sunday night, as a new week emerged, she had been meeting her. Raven Branwen. The mother she had searched far and wide for, for so many years. Today, too, they would meet, in the gardens, behind the bushes. Because the words that fell there could very well mean her death, if "they" ever found out.

Despite the complete darkness, Yang once again found her way to their usual meeting place. Her mother was already tapping her feet; She didn't have much time, she never had. But given the circumstances, Yang was happy with what little time they could spend together.

Raven: "Good evening."

Yang: "Yeah. Sorry I'm late."

Raven: "Better late than never."

Yang: "Listen," Yang looked her mother in the eyes. "We have a problem. Uncle

Qrow..."

Raven: "I already know brother is here. We'll have to keep an eye on him, but

for now we won't have to change the plan."

Yang: "You really have your spies everywhere, don't you?"

Raven: "Of course. We need to. With all that's at stake, we can't afford to

make mistakes. We need to know about every move, every step the enemy

makes, or else we'll be crushed like the worms they take us for."

Yang looked down at her feet.

Yang: "You know... I still feel kinda bad about doing this. The sacrifices

we have to make, the lies, the secrecy... I don't wanna have to

lie to my teammates anymore."

Raven: "I understand the feeling. Hell, seventeen years on the run, unable to

meet my own child..."

Raven pulled Yang in for a big bear hug.

Raven: "I know what I did back then was selfish. I attacked one of our affiliates,

I helped the enemy and revealed myself to an outsider."

She let go of Yang, who had slight difficulties breathing now.

Raven: "But I absolutely can't allow you to tell them. The faunus girl

has reasons to hate our allies in the White Fang and the Schnee heiress

is too closely linked to the ones pulling the strings. And about your

sister..."

Sadness filled her eyes.

Raven: "It really pains me to think about it. In this world, innocence truly

has no chance of survival. At least let her keep that smile

for a little longer. We don't have to tell her yet. Besides, I think

Summer would like to be the one to do it."

Yang: "...Sorry, I know that we can't... But still, I'm certain they would

understand. Heck, if I can understand who the ones in the right are,

then they..."

Raven looked at her angrily, her red eyes glowing slightly.

Raven: "What part of 'I absolutely can't allow you to tell them' didn't

you understand!? All life on Remnant depends on us succeeding!

If you misjudged one of your friends even the tiniest bit, all would be

lost!"

She walked left to right, trying to calm herself.

Yang: "Don't worry, mom, if you say I can't, I'll keep my mouth shut a little longer."

After taking a deep breath, Raven answered simply with: "Good."

They continued to talk for a while, continuing their little catching-up with all the things they had done these past seventeen years. But at last, it was time to say goodbye again.

Yang: "Say hi to Summer from me."

Raven Smiled.

Raven: "That reminds me... She wants to meet you tomorrow before the battle. She said

she found a way you could help out."

Yang: "Oh, really? I guess I finally get to meet her in person again, after twelve years..."

Raven: "She'll pick you up around 9 AM at the fountain and take you to her dorm room.

Well, I gotta get going now. Stay safe, Yang."

Yang: "Bye, mom."

Yang watched as her mother disappeared into the shadows once again. Only now did the cold start to bother her. "Fuuuuuck, it's cold!" She quickly hurried back inside to get some sleep. After all, she had a big day ahead of her.

* * *

Cinder sat by the window, waiting. 11 PM, 0 AM, nothing. Around 1:15 AM, The one she was waiting for finally appeared outside.

Cinder: "Ah, Raven. How did the talk with our little brawler go?"

Raven: "I think the stress might be getting to her. Really, it reminds

me of when you left the comfy cage of 'their' control. She

will get used to it eventually."

Cinder: "That is, if we still have more than a few days left. The great

annual lunar eclipse will occur at the day of the finale."

Raven: "Do you think they'll find a suitable vessel?"

Cinder: "I fear they may. And I also fear who it might be..."

Raven: "Don't keep lying to yourself. I'm sure she'll..."

Cinder: "How could she? No, my baby is innocent, but my hands... My hands

are stained with the blood of many... No, I can't face her... but if things

continue as is..."

Raven: "Should I have told Yang?"

Cinder: "No, no... You would've just made her worry. Besides, she doesn't need

to know. If she doesn't fuck up tomorrow, it's unlikely they'll even

consider her once the time comes."

Raven: "Summer... You're saying this, but isn't that just wishful thinking?"

Cinder: "Maybe so, maybe so... You know what to do, right?"

Raven: "Don't worry, the smoke bombs have been prepared and synchronized with your

scroll. We only have to place them now."

Cinder: "Good. But hurry. Worst-case scenario, we'll need them in two days."

Raven: "Alright. Good luck tomorrow."

Raven drew her blade and slashed at the air. A black portal appeared, as if she had torn asunder space itself.

Raven: "And be careful, especially if Qrow is involved."

With these last words, Raven entered the portal and disappeared to who-knows-where. Summer Rose looked up at the shattered moon.

Cinder: "Just you wait. I have defied you once, and I'll sure as hell not

let you take my daughter! No, we won't-"

Emerald came in through the door, carrying Mercury on her back.

Cinder: "Oh, back I see. How did your little trip to the club go?"

Mercury was babbling like a madman.

Mercury: "Ah! No, Militia, I really can't drink anymore. I already had, like,

twenty glasses."

Emerald: "You can see the results."

Cinder grew impatient.

Cinder: "Did you get the intel we need?"

Emerald: "Right. Apparently, our old friend Ironwood let his tounge slip after

a long night of drinking. The code to disable the firewall that robot girl

has is 'Atlus', spelled with an u."

Cinder: "Excellent. Now to bed with you. A woman needs her beauty sleep, after all."

Emerald let Mercury down, after which he stumbled towards his bed, almost falling over. She and Cinder both changed into their pajamas and went to bed. Before they turned off the light, Emerald asked Cinder one last thing.

Emerald: "Madam... I know I shouldn't ask, but you seem troubled lately."

A moment of awkward silence followed, until Cinder answered:

Cinder: "You know, I sometimes wish things went more smoothly. ESPECIALLY with

Mercury."

Emerald laughed.

Emerald: "Phew! What was I thinking? Nothing can faze you. You're always cold and

calculating. There's literally nothing I can think of that could hurt you.

And that's why you inspire people, you know? You are the leadership they seek.

Charismatic. Unbudging. No-bullshit-like."

They turned of the lights. Though before slipping away into the realm of dreams, Emerald would have sworn she could hear quiet sobbing.


	2. Chapter 2: Too long a name, apparently

**Hi guys :) I wrote this chapter just after uploading chapter one of this Fanfic. I'm still trying to figure out how to better format this stuff for the website, but I hope I did a better job than with the first chapter. You can expect new chapters frequently, in exchange for a shorter length.**

 **I haven't seen the newest episode yet, so my Fic is probably already incompatible with canon. But I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless :)**

 **Edit: Oh, how incompatible it turned out to be...**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: The only way to win is to loose**

It was early in the morning. The first rays of the rising sun shone through the window of Ozpins office. And assembled in front of a big, holographic monitor in the centre of the room stood those who wished to preserve the world: Professor Ozpin, Glynda Goodwitch, James Ironwood and Qrow Branwen. On the monitor, three black figures could be seen.

?: „Once again, we are disappointed with your performance. The Guardian needs to be found before the annual eclipse, else another year is wasted."

Ozpin: „My apologies. I was certain that Miss Nikos' skill and personality would suffice, but perhaps I had misjudged her. Her heart was too... impure for her to be the one we need."

Qrow: „C'mon, you should've seen that comin'. She's head over heels for that Ark boy. That's an instant no-go."

?: „Mr. Branwen, you have no right to ridicule the efforts of the Professor. Isn't it your sister who created this threat in the first place?"

Qrow: „Oh, so now I'm responsible for what she's doin'?"

Ironwood: „No, but it was you who failed to stop her seventeen years ago."

The general took a step forward towards the screen.

Ironwood: „May I suggest again the option I have offered you on several occasions?"

?: „There is no need for that. We are aware that your robot fulfills all the requirements, but

such experimentation would put our success at great risk. Remember, the lives of the

citizens of all four Kingdoms are hanging by a thin thread."

Ironwood: „Understood..."

He stepped back in line with the others.

?: „Professor."

Ozpin: „Yes?"

?: „Remember: this is your last chance to prove that our trust in you is not misplaced. Do not disappoint us again."

Ozpin: „Of course. I will see to it that the other candidates be brought here for the examination."

?: „Very well. Report back to us tomorrow at 600."

The screen went back to the Beacon Academy logo and a general sense of tension spread across the room, nervous looks jumping from one person to the other. The first to get herself back together was Goodwitch.

Goodwitch: „Listen, we shouldn't waste our time worrying about how little of it we have left. Professor, please tell us who the others are you see the potential in."

Ozpin: „I'm afraid one of them has to be excluded from that list after what we heard yesterday. If Miss Nikos' impurity stemmed from her lust towards Mister Ark, then we can assume he too has become corrupted because of this relationship. Sadly, the only other option I see is..."

* * *

Weiss: „RUBY!"

Weiss jumped out of her bed screaming as the sound of Rubys infernal whistle tore her out of her dreams. Visibly annoyed, the heiress commented:

Weiss: „Really, was that necessary!? We don't have to fight today. It's only Yang against that... grey haired friend of Emerald's."

Ruby: „Yes, Weiss, it was necessary. Look over there!"

Ruby pointed over to Blake's and Yang's bed. Blake was in a state of complete shock due to the sudden loud noise, but the blonde in the upper bed was still sleeping like a rock.

Ruby: „YAAAAAANG!"

No response. Weiss got up, went over to their bed and violently tossed Yang off.

Yang: „AAAAAAH! Kittens! Kittens everywhere!"

It took a second for Yang to realize it had all been a dream, but once she did, she was furious.

Yang: „Da HELL was that for!?"

Ruby: „Yang, it's quarter past eight. Your battle starts in less than three hours."

Yang: „Oh shitshitSHITSHITSHIIIIIIIIT!"

The brawler dashed into the bathroom like a rocket. In a matter of minutes, she was finished with showering and dressing.

Yang: „Well, I still wanna do something real quick before the match. See ya later!"

Yang tried to exit the dorm room, but her partner raised her voice before she could do so.

Blake: „What kind of 'something' do you have in mind?"

Yang: „Well, you see, I want to meet with another friend of mine. You know me, I have lots of 'em."

Blake: „Right..."

Yang: „So, uuuuhm... I hope you'll come watch me later."

Ruby: „Of course, sis. Why wouldn't we?"

Yang only looked over at Weiss, who was already climbing back into bed.

Yang: „...Nevermind. Later."

* * *

The area around the great fountain was crammed with students and other visitors from every Kingdom on Remnant. How was Yang supposed to find Summer in this place, especially since she didn't even know how her step-mother looked like nowadays. She decided on simply sitting down on the fountain, waiting to be found. It was five past nine as a figure she had only occasionally caught glimpses of approached her.

Cinder: „Yang Xiao Long. I see you are waiting for someone. Did the ravens whisper a little secret in your ear?"

Yang looked up at the person speaking to her. Cinder Fall, a student from Haven Academy visiting for the festival.

Yang: „Oookay... Do you want something from me?"

Cinder: „Cut the bullshit, you know exactly why I'm here."

She turned around.

Cinder: „Follow me, we'll talk inside."

* * *

Cinder's room was very spartan-like. Not much had been changed from the plain layout of the dorms, except for a high-performance laptop sitting on a table in the corner. The two young women sat down on the beds, facing each other.

Cinder: „So, on how much did Raven fill you in until now?"

Yang: „Well, not much, I would say. If I had to break it down, she told me something about an ancient cycle in which some being called the 'Queen of Grimm' would be resurrected and fight a chosen guardian of humanity and if that doesn't happen, we'll all get fucked over and the world ends or something. And you are trying to make the cycle take its natural course for that reason, while some kind of secret council is trying to create a Guardian early and upset the balance or something."

Cinder: „Well, it really sounds quite ridiculous if you say it like that... But I suppose one could put it that way."

Yang: „But down to business. Where is Summer Rose?"

Cinder chuckled.

Cinder: „You're looking at her."

Yang's jaw dropped.

Yang: „Impossible! You don't look like my step-mother at all!"

Cinder: „That's the work of my semblance, sweety. I can change my appearance to whatever I feel like. Doesn't really come in handy for a Huntress, I know, but for a rebel trying to avoid detection..."

Yang: „...It's perfect..."

Yang gave Summer a tight hug.

Yang: „Long time no see, supermom."

Cinder: „Long time no see, my little brawler."

They stayed like that for a few seconds, before Summer spoke up again.

Cinder: „I really should explain to you what you are supposed to do now. We don't have much time."

She looked over at the door and shouted:

Cinder: „COME IN, MERCURY!"

Mercury Black, Yang's opponent in the coming battle, entered the room.

Mercury: „What the..."

Cinder: „I suppose you two already know each other, so take a seat and let me explain the plan."

Mercury: „What the hell is SHE doing here!?"

Mercury stared at Yang in unbelief.

Cinder: „It's alright, Mercury. She's on our side in this."

He nervously sat down next to her, never taking his eyes off of the blonde.

Cinder: „As you know, our main goal is to prevent the council from finding a suitable Guardian while the Queen of Grimm is still regaining her power. Through the use of our little digital queen, I have found out that there is only one remaining candidate for this year... Ruby Rose."

Yang felt a burning in her gut, as if she had just been punched there real hard.

Cinder: „Now, one of the requirements for becoming the Guardian is physical skill. Meaning that the Guardian has to be the best of the best. As such, if team RWBY were to loose in the tournament..."

Yang: „...It would reduce the likelyhood of Ruby being chosen, right?"

Cinder: „You catch on quickly. I like that."

Mercury: „So, what you're suggesting..."

Cinder: „...Is for Yang to loose the fight on purpose."

Silence took over. Yang was conflicted: If she lost the tournament, her team would be devastated. On the other hand, if she won, she would put her little sister's life in great danger. After a few minutes, she finally brought out an answer.

Yang: „...I'll do it. I will put up a show for a few minutes, then let Mercury kick me in the face and act as if I'm dazed by it."

Summer smiled.

Cinder: „Excellent. I knew I could count on you with this."

She took out her scroll.

Cinder: „Oh dear, look at the time! Your battle is supposed to stard in 30 minutes. Better get going, you two."

Yang said goodbye and went outside, leaving Mercury and Cinder alone.

Mercury: „Cin... I mean, ma'am?"

Cinder: „Yes, Mercury?"

Mercury: „You're smiling..."

Cinder: „Is that so unusual? The plan is going well, I have every reason to smile."

Mercury: „If you say so... It just seemed kinda different from your usual, malicious smile."

Cinder: „That must have been your imagination. Now hurry!"

Mercury sighed.

Mercury: „Alright. Maaaaan, I still got a hell of a hangover here. Fuck."

He drank a sip of tap water and went after Yang. Summer watched through the window as the two ran towards the airships at full speed, trying to catch the last one. She could only hope that everything went well. For Remnant's sake, and her daughter's.

* * *

 **Two chapters of this before I even have access to the Image Manager XD**

 **Leave a review or two, if you like. But please point out what you don't like and don't just bash me without explaining why :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Separation

**Now then, the third chapter! Canon be damned, I am a way better writer than anyone at RT (in my dreams, that is.). I'm trying to give a little backstory here, so this one's gonna go waaaaaaay back into the past.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Separation**

The night was clear. The moon shone brightly in the darkness above, pieces scattering off to one side. In a shack, deep in the forests on the Island of Patch, a woman with long, black hair lay on the hay. She was pregnant and about to give birth. Far away from the lights of the city, the arms of her husband, and the clutches of the powers that be. Her red eyes flickered with light at every convulsion as pain coursed through her body. She had to pull through! Squeezing, again and again, pain overtaking her body, for several hours. Still, by morning, she was holding a healthy baby girl in her arms.

She thought back at what they had decided, back when she could still be with him. „Yang". The Baby would be called „Yang Xiao Long". She had originally opposed that idea, but was glad now, since it reminded her of him.

How long had it been? Raven was sure they didn't even know of their coming bliss when it happened. Her team, team STRQ, had been sent on a mission all the way up north in the Kingdom of Mantle. All they had been told was that there were „Grimm in the area". How cynical, really. Sending your best, most trusted Huntsmen and Huntresses out on a suicidal recon mission with such a bullshit excuse.

* * *

The journey was treacherous. The airships couldn't fly much farther north than Atlas Academy, so they had to march on foot for several days through ice and snow. If it weren't for her husband's „fiery" semblance, they would most likely have frozen over. Surely, not even the creatures of Grimm could survive in such a place. But a mission was a mission, no two ways about it. After almost a week in the deadly wilderness, they reached the northernmost point of Remnant. Their goal. But nothing was there. Nothing but ice and certain death for anyone wearing less than five layers of clothing.

…Or so they thought. They split up to search the area for any Grimm that might be creeping around, when the ice that should have been hundreds of meters thick gave way below Raven's feet. She dropped into a pool of icy water.

Raven: „Shit! HELP! Tai! Bro! Summer! Anyone..."

No one was around, they had all been walking in different directions for at least two hours. And now, the thick anoraks she was wearing were working against her, soaking up the water and weighing her down. Raven was a strong woman, but eventually, the struggle tired her out. 'So this is it?' she thought, sinking into the dark abyss. 'Tai...' She had already resigned herself to her death. But, before her consciousness faded, a red glow started to shine from somewhere far below her.

* * *

?: „Daughter of man... Do you think your life to be precious?"

Raven couldn't see anymore. She couldn't hear, she couldn't breathe. She couldn't feel anything anymore but the cold and lonelyness. Was this death?

?: „Daughter of man... I ask you again... Do you think your life is precious?"

Raven tried her best to talk, and to her surprise, words escaped her lips.

Raven: „Yes. As precious as any other life."

?: „You have lead the life of a warrior. Undoubtably, you have put out many lights yourself. Yet, you still see life as precious?"

Raven: „I was no warrior. I was a protector. I was the wall that kept out the Grimm at night. I helped to save the lives of many people."

?: „Your intentions were noble, to be sure. But don't you see? This isn't how the world is meant to be."

Raven was confused. What was this voice on about?

?: „I see, I have confused you. Let me put it like this: When you see two rabbits and a fox, how do you think the rabbits will react? Will they stick together and fight the fox? Or will the faster one flee, sacrificing the slower one to save its own life?"

Raven: „Of course, the latter option. Animals don't know how to band together like this, and don't care for their brethren."

?: „Exactly. That's the rule of nature. Of course, that's only the most basic level of social behaviour. Wolves, for example, live in packs. There is a strict hierarchy, but the alpha wolves ultimately protect their subjects and care for the sick, until they can join the hunt again."

Raven: „Why are you telling me this? Am I not about to die!?"

?: „Not necessarily. If you are able to understand, there might still be a chance for you."

Raven: „But what if I don't?"

?: „Then you will, undoubtably, die."

Raven stayed quiet for a moment.

Raven: „...Go on."

?: „There are two groups of beings on this world that defy these rules. Do you know which ones I mean?"

Raven: „You are talking about the Humans and Faunus... and the Grimm, right?"

?: „Very good. Those three, you see, are inseparably linked. Grimm can't survive without the Humans or the Faunus, and man cannot survive without the Grimm."

Raven: „What is that supposed to mean? Grimm kill Humans on sight!"

?: „Precisely. But that is the way they help you."

Raven: „WHAT!? How can you say something like that. What are you!?"

?: „Please, calm yourself. I am not your enemy."

Raven: „How can I trust you, after what you just said?"

?: „... How disappointing..."

Raven: „What?"

?: „After all those years, you returned to this place, but you have become too blinded by the arrogance of man to notice the threat he created."

Raven: „Wha-"

?: „Speak no further, I appear to have wasted both your time and mine. Go, rejoin the cycle of death and rebirth, until the inevitable end."

Raven: „NO! WAIT! I'm sorry, I will hear what you have to say! Just tell me! What do I have to do to go back!?"

?: „...Alright. Your attachments to this life are strong indeed, to oppose your death so zealously. Very well, I shall continue. The reason Grimm are so important to the survival of man is his inherent drive to fight. Man needs a common enemy, lest he will target himself. You have heard of it, have you not? The Faunus war, where brother crossed blade with brother?"

Rave had never thought of it that way. But the voice was slowly starting to make sense.

Raven: „But how are we upsetting that balance? If Humanity needs to fight, alright, but isn't that exactly what we are doing?"

?: „Yes, and no. Have you not noticed how the Grimm have been pushed back, deep into the wilderness? Man has conquered his oldest adversary, driven him near extinction. But in doing so, he has opened the door to his own peril. Have you ever stopped to think about what the rulers of your world are doing?"

Raven: „I... never thought about it, to be honest..."

?: „The mighty see this era of peace and prosperity as a sign. They wish to tip the balance of order and chaos, not realizing the danger of doing so. And you, the Huntsmen and Huntresses, you are the ones protecting their plans from the wrath of nature."

Raven: „Who... who are you that you know all this?"

?: „Me...?"

Two glowing red lights manifested themselves in front of her.

?: „I am the Queen of Grimm."

Raven was stunned. In the pale red light reflecting back at the person standing in front of her, she saw her own face.

Queen of Grimm: „Do you see now? Do you remember? All the past worlds? All your failures? All the pain?"

Raven: „I... I..."

* * *

Taiyang: „RAVEN!"

Raven slowly opened her eyes. She was in their tent? Taiyang seemed euphoric.

Taiyang: „Come guys, quick! She's awake!"

Raven didn't really understand what was going on.

Raven: „Tai?"

Taiyang: „Everything's alright, dear. Everything's okay now."

Summer and Qrow came back into the tent.

Qrow: „Well, lil' sis. Had a nice nap?"

Summer pinched him in the side.

Qrow: „Ow!"

Summer: „Really? Your sister was in a coma for six days and that's how you greet her? …Then again, you're Qrow."

Qrow: „Aww, c'mon! You wouldn't want it any other way, would you?"

Summer glared at him.

Raven: „Sorry, but would anybody be so nice as to tell me what on Remnant happened?"

Summer: „We don't know. Tai found you passed out in the snow. We were hoping you could explain it to us."

Raven thought about her strange dream for a moment, then answered:

Raven: „Sorry, I can't remember all that clearly. It might have been the exhaustion."

Taiyang sighed.

Taiyang: „Well, at least you're fine now. That's all that matters."

Raven: „Right. And Tai..."

She pulled him towards her and gave him a passionate kiss.

Raven: "...Promise you won't ever leave me."

Qrow was looking the other way and Summer's face was red like roses.

Taiyang looked her in the eyes.

Taiyang: „You... have red eyes...?"

* * *

The night was stormy. It had been about a month now since Yang was born, and Raven would have to change her hideout soon. The council was ruthless. No matter where she ran to, they would find her eventually. She had already stayed here for too long.

She didn't have many things - just her old scroll, which she had broken so they couldn't track her, her weapon, a photo of her old team, the clothes she had worn since six months now and a few pieces of cloth she found to wrap Yang in. All packed into her old Beacon Academy backpack (Except for the clothes, for obvious reasons.) But just as she was about to leave, a familiar person appeared in the doorway.

Qrow: „Now, who do we have here?"

This was bad! They had found her.

Qrow: „I worked my ass off to find you, so be a nice girl and surrender."

Raven put down the infant Yang on the rotten hay.

Raven: „Oh, so you think I'll just roll up and die, don't you? Well, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, bro."

She selected the red blade and drew her sword.

Qrow: „Wait a sec, sis! I don't wanna haf'ta kill ya! I was hopin' you would come with me peacefully. I'm sure we'll find a way to make things work out in the end!"

Raven: „Do you really think they're just going to let me off the hook? Rebellion against all four Kingdoms, murder of three world class Huntsmen? How naive..."

Qrow: „Raven..."

Raven: „SHUT THE FUCK UP! You're just like them! Summer... and Tai... No one even tries to understand! You all just follow orders like the blind sheep you are!"

Qrow sighed.

Qrow: „Really didn't wanna do this, but this is gettin' nowhere."

In a fluent, mechanical movement, his sword morphed into a giant scythe.

Qrow: „Goodbye, sis!"

He charged at her with full speed and struck around chest height, but Raven dove down and rolled past him. She had to move this fight out of the shack, otherwise, Yang would be in grave danger. She ran out into the forest, Qrow following closely behind.

Qrow: „So, just gonna keep runnin'? You can't escape justice forever!"

Raven activated her semblance and slashed at the air, opening a portal. The next second, she was behind Qrow, ready to strike. But as she brought down her blade, he quickly stepped aside and parried with his scythe.

Qrow: „Don't get too full of yourself. I know all your little dirty tricks, sis."

They were evenly matched. Raven had to think of something, and quick! She could just escape through a portal, but that would mean leaving behind her daughter. If she was lucky, she would be raised in a rotten world this way, if she was unlucky, her brief life would soon end, lonely and abandoned.

Raven jumped back, skillfully dodging another swing from Qrow's scythe.

Qrow: „Why won't you die already!? FUUUCK! Give me back my sister, you monster!"

He wasn't entirely wrong. If the Grimm were indeed monsters to the Humans, then what would the Queen of Grimm be considered to be? A monster, naturally. At least to them.

She had thought up a plan. She would lead Qrow away from the shack, then teleport back there, grab Yang and flee to somewhere far, far away. Maybe Vacuo? Didn't matter, just out of here.

But sadly, Qrow caught on to that.

Qrow: „Say... hasn't your belly gotten a lot smaller compared to last time?"

He had figured it out. Qrow dashed past her, towards the shack.

Raven: „Fuck! YANG!"

She slashed at the air and jumped into the portal as quickly as she could, just to be greeted by Qrow burying the tip of his scythe into her left shoulder.

Qrow: „Damnit, missed!"

This was bad! Very bad! She had nowhere to run to. In a last-ditch effort, she headbutted Qrow while he was trying to rip his scythe out of her flesh and slashed at the air one more time, opening a portal. She took a last glimpse back at her baby, then jumped in, the portal closing just before her brother could follow.

* * *

The crowd cheered loudly as the contestants entered the arena. The fight between Yang Xiao Long and Mercury Black was about to begin. But while the blonde brawler entered the arena with great composure, the grey haired boy was stumbling slightly and did not look that well overall. As the clock struck eleven, the first battle of the finals began.

* * *

 **WOW, that was a long chapter for one day. Remember how I said „In my dreams, that is"?**

 **I'm starting to think that, with a bit of experience, I could easily match them. Anyways, thanks for reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed. Leave a review to tell me how I could improve. And I wish you lots more fun on :)**


	4. Chapter 4: Losing: Easier said than done

**I really need to slow down; I can't stop writing these. But what the hell, no more school work this year :D Let's just write another chapter. This is probably going to be a short one (They found me 3 weeks later, dead in my computer chair with 600 pages of this).**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Loosing: Easier said than done**

As the sound signaling the start of the battle rang throughout the arena, Yang and Mercury charged at each other. 'No problem', Yang thought. 'All I have to do is loose' She pretended to try to punch Mercury in the face, moving as slowly as possible without raising suspicion, fully expecting to be blocked, but... she hit. Mercury didn't even try to block her, passively raising his right leg but only managing to soften the blow by accidentally falling in the direction it was going. Confused, she stood there for a moment while Mercury got up again. This time, she would make it extremely easy for him. She aimed a weak kick around his waist, just to the right of his crotch. Again, Mercury couldn't block, resulting in him flying backwards. Did she really have so little control over her own strength?

Yang: „What the FUCK are you doing!? C'mon, give me a challenge!"

Of course, she had to keep up the show. But Mercury seemed to not give a shit. He just stood there, completely exhausted already.

Mercury: „Sorry, I think I had a few drinks too many last night..."

Yang: „Who gets drunk before such an important battle?"

Mercury raised his hand.

Oobleck: „Oh, what an unexpected turn of events! Contestant Mercury Black has given up!"

Yang & Mercury: „WHAT!?"

Oobleck: „This means Miss Xiao Long of team RWBY is one of the winners of the singles finale and her team will advance to the two-front-war team finale!"

Summer was sitting in the audience, shaking uncontrollably. Again! Fucking Mercury! In front of her sat the rest of team RWBY, cheering an awkward cheer for this half-assed victory.

This was bad. Really, really fucking bad. This was the only round in which Yang alone would have decided the outcome. Now, there was only one round left. A battle with the entire team, against two other teams at once. The gates back out of the arena opened. She had won. She had failed.

* * *

Ruby: „Oooooh Yang, you were awesome out there!"

Yang: „My opponent threw in the towel..."

Ruby: „Of course! He knew he didn't stand a chance against you and fled like the little pussy he is!"

Yang sighed.

Yang: „Could you get me, like, a bottle of water, Rubes? Would be nice."

Ruby: „Consider your water bottled, sis!"

Yang: „Right..."

Ruby cheerfully skipped away.

What should she do? She had changed nothing. Next round, the others would be there with her, fighting, not knowing that their victory could mean desaster for the world.

Raven: „Yang."

Yang looked up to see her mother standing in front of her. Behind her was some sort of shadowy, dark red portal.

Raven: „Come with me. We're having an emergency meeting."

Before she could respond in any way, Yang was dragged into the portal and transported to a dirty looking room full of boxes, a ceiling fan spinning above their heads. Summer was sitting on one of the boxes, looking very nervous, crossing her legs and constantly switching them around.

Cinder: „Mercury! Fucking Mercury! You had one job, damnit!"

Raven: „Summer, please calm down! It's not like we didn't plan for something like this. It's not certain they will win the final round, and if they do, we still have plan G"

Yang: „Don't you mean 'plan B'?"

Raven: „No, we've burned through A, B, C, D and E already."

Cinder: „Who the fuck cares! Our chances of success just plumetted straight down to below 50 percent! We're fucked! We're fucking fucked!"

Raven slapped her.

Raven: „So what!? Are you gonna give up now? After all that we worked towards for more than a decade? What happened to the strong leader I knew!? What happened to Summer Rose, leader of team STRQ!?"

Cinder: „She's dead! She has been since twelve years ago! Since the day she left her family! Since you created Cinder Fall!"

Raven: „Calm down. What are you on about!?"

Yang couldn't help herself from intervening.

Yang: „It's Ruby, isn't it?"

Summer stared at her, the sad glow in her amber eyes telling her everything.

Yang: „Please, just calm down. No matter what happens, I'll keep her safe."

Cinder: „I-"

Tears started to flow from her eyes.

Cinder: „I just didn't want to die!"

Her words echoed through the room.

Cinder: „I'm a coward! I should have been the one to take her role, all these years ago! But I couldn't! I couldn't bear to kill your mother! And I lost! I lost, but didn't die like I was supposed to! And now, because of my selfishness, the cycle has been broken!"

Yang: „What do you mean?"

Raven: „Yang, Summer is this cycle's original Guardian."

Yang: „Wha...?"

Summer wiped the tears off her face.

Cinder: „No, what she's saying isn't really true. It's more like I was supposed to be the guardian and received the associated powers, but once I decided against killing her, it abandoned me, returning to be bestowed upon someone new."

Raven: „But what a fight it was! I had to conjure up all my powers to defeat you, and it left me weakened."

Yang: „Pardon me, but I have lost track completely now."

Summer looked at Raven.

Cinder: „I thought you told her?"

Yang: „Told me what?"

Cinder: „Raven is the Queen of Grimm."

Yang: „Oh... Wait WHAT!?"

Raven sighed.

Raven: „Come, I'll show everything to you. You'd just be confused like this all the time if I didn't."

She drew her sword and slashed at the air, creating a portal like the one Yang saw before.

Raven: „Come on, don't be shy. This portal leads to a place were all your questions will be answered."

Raven extended her hand towards her. Yang hesitated for a brief moment, but ultimately put her hands together with her mother's and went through the portal.

* * *

 **I originally intended this to be longer, but what follows really deserves its own chapter and title. It's only going to get crazier from here on out, and in a few chapters, I will finally fulfill that promise of cosmic horror XD**


	5. Chapter 5: Eternity

**Ah, yes. I originally wrote this as part of chapter 4, but it really didn't fit and is of such great importance that it just BEGGED for its own chapter. Get ready to go to crazy town, guys!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Eternity**

Before Yang's eyes, a sea of stars opened up. They appeared to be floating in the night sky, even though she could see nothing below her but the darkness and the stars.

Yang: „What is this place?"

Raven: „This, Yang, is our Universe."

She was stunned. Were they really in space? Yang took a deep breath. Air filled her lungs.

Raven laughed.

Raven: „Did you think this was the real thing? No, of course not. We are in a place separate from space."

Yang: „Okay? Doesn't really surprise me anymore. Everything that happened since this morning was fucking crazy, anyway."

Raven: „Okay, then I don't have to worry. Just run with it."

Raven snapped her fingers and the universe around them distorted and faded away. In its stead, a strange city skyline appeared on the horizon.

Raven: „This is Hongkong."

Yang: „Hong-what?"

Raven: „This is a projection of a world long gone – the distant past, aeons ago."

Yang: „Why are you showing me this?"

An explosion could be seen in the distance.

Raven: „Because this is my story."

Their surroundings zipped past the buildings and left them standing near a crossroads. The street had been obliterated and replaced by a giant crater. In the center lay a black beast with glowing red wings and eyes, trying its best to get up, but failing.

Raven: „This is, or rather, was Gaeus, the manifestation of Chaos."

Above them, a serene white being was floating in the air, giving off a faint, light blue tone.

Raven: „And this is Enas, the manifestation of Order."

Yang noticed a girl, approximately her age, standing behind a lamp post.

Yang: „Hey! It's not safe here!"

Raven chuckled.

Raven: „Don't even try it – they can't hear you. As I said, all of this happened an unfathomable amount of time ago."

Yang: „Sorry... But tell me, will this girl die here?"

Raven: „Indeed, she will. But before that happens, something that defined the existence of many eras, even Universes still unborn will occur."

Only now did Yang notice the girl was holding a gun. She took a deep breath, jumped forth from behind the lamp post and started shooting at the being called Enas.

Girl: „AAAAAAAAAH!"

Her bullets hit, but Enas seemed unfazed.

Gaeus: „It's no use, child of man. This world is lost. I'm at my limit."

The girl stopped shooting. Staring at the figure above her with spite, she spoke to the beast.

Girl: „...Gaeus, remember how you told me about your power stemming from Human emotion?"

Gaeus: „...You can't be suggesting...!"

Girl: „Oh, and how I'm suggesting! I'm not letting this motherfucker turn our world into a wasteland full of mindless drones! I'm REALLY pissed off now!"

Gaeus: „Do you even understand the magnitude of what you want me to do!?"

The girl smiled.

Girl: „I'm prepared. Until the end of time, and beyond, I'm ready to fight. I've made up my mind. The world needs someone to protect its freedom. And that alone can carry me through a thousand lives of tragedy!"

Gaeus: „Heh. The way I know you, it's no use arguing about it. You got guts, girl."

The beast disintegrated into a crimson shroud, enveloping the girl.

Gaeus: „NOW! Let us become one! PIERCE THE SKY!"

Girl: „ESCAPE YOUR FATE!"

Raven: „The more you try... the more you'll just breed hate..."

Yang looked over at Raven.

Yang: „Did you say something?"

Raven: „What? No, no, must have been in the background somewhere."

Their surroundings were filled with a blinding red light. As the light faded, the girl could be seen again, holding a glowing red greatsword in her hands, not unlike the one Yatsuhashi used. She charged at Enas, wings of red light forming on her back, screaming at the top of her lungs. And then, everything went black.

Raven: „This was the day the Queen of Grimm was born – or at least the one who is called so in this world."

Yang: „What does all of this mean?"

Raven: „Yang, that girl you just saw was me, in an earlier life."

Yang: „Oh. Okay. So, and that Enas guy, if I put two and two together, is the source of the Guardians' power... I think."

Raven: „Yes, exactly."

Yang: „So, what happened?"

Raven: „What always does. Haven't I told you this already? The Queen of Grimm and the Guardian are locked in eternal battle. Once every era, they return to continue their fight, destined..."

Yang: „...to kill each other..."

Raven: „This cycle has gone on for Quadrillions of years. Every time I am reborn, I lead a normal life for a small amount of years, until Gaeus' power awakens and I start to remember."

Raven walked up close to her.

Raven: „But all these cycles up until now had one thing in common: I never had the chance to have a child, to watch them grow up, to receive something different from the hatred of those who cannot see -"

Yang: „...Love. All these years, you have been alone... Suffering with a pain no one could relate to..."

Raven: „Yes, but that's okay now. I don't know why, but I got the feeling that from now on, even once this life ends, I will never be alone again."

Yang: „Of course not. Because from now on, my soul will latch onto you like Rapier Wasps to tree sap."

Raven smiled.

Raven: „I'll take your word for it."

A red light slowly enveloped the background.

Raven: „I guess it's time to return to Remnant once more. To continue the fight and perpetuate the existence of this world. Come now;"

She once again held her hand outstretched towards her.

Raven: „The real battle is about to begin."

* * *

 **Yep. That just happened. Deal with it. We're goin' off the rails.**


	6. Chapter 6: We'll be there for you

**Wow, that last one was sliiiiightly crazy, I know. I thought about it a lot today, and came to a conclusion: The cosmic horror can wait (I'm still debating whether I want to change the genre), I'm blowing this up some more, see how far I can take this. I also realized that**

 **1: A little bit of downtime between bombshells would have been nice, maybe.**

 **2: A little too one sided of a story until now, isn't it? Don't worry, not for long...**

 **3: Raven has kinda mutated into the main character, a spot intended for Yang.**

 **4: Almost no team RWBY. Ruby has effectively become a mere plot device.**

 **5: Too much crying! EVERYONE cries ALL THE TIME!**

 **So, the following chapters will try to improve on these things I'm personally not that happy with. Enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: We'll be there for you**

Ozpin was sitting at his desk, tapping his fingers. She was late. It had been two hours now since he had called for Ruby Rose to come to his office, and every second was important right now. What was that girl doing?

* * *

Ruby: „YAAANG!"

Ruby had been searching for her sister for hours. When she returned with the water, Yang was gone and nowhere to be found. They had split up to look for her, Blake searching in and around the arena, Weiss inside the school and Ruby outside. They had agreed to send the others a message on their scrolls if she was found, but no luck yet.

Ruby: „YAAANG!"

No response. She had been almost everywhere now. The only place she hadn't looked were the gardens, but she couldn't exactly see the brawler sitting there, sipping tea. She went around the corner, through the small iron gate and stepped onto the grass. No one was around, as most students were having fun around the various stalls that had temporarily set up shop. Walking past the trees and bushes, she tried to figure out what was wrong with Yang one more time. She had always been rather blunt and hyperactive in the past, but for some time now, something seemed to trouble her. She would sit on her bed, thinking. And if Ruby knew something about her sister, it was that her thinking could only be a bad sign.

As she passed by a tree, she was suddenly smacked into the ground as something fell from above.

Ruby: „Oof!"

Yang: „Owowowowow..."

Yang was glad for the soft landing. Raven said she would send her to a place where no one would notice a dark red portal appearing out of nowhere, but she didn't know she would appear on top of a fucking tree, guaranteed to fall off immediately.

Ruby: „Uuuuh... Please get off of me..."

Yang: „HOLY SHIT!"

She jumped up, allowing Ruby to get back on her feet.

Ruby: „Oww..."

She was rubbing her back. The heavy blonde probably gave her a few good bruises.

Yang: „S-sorry, Rubes. You alright?"

Ruby: „Yes, Yang... Wait, Yang!"

She fell around her sisters neck.

Ruby: „Where have you been? We looked all over the place! Blake even had to eat the ice cream she had bought for you herself!"

Yang: „What!? There was ice!?"

Ruby: „Yes, but then it went all slimy and weird and not at all icy... So Blake sacrificed herself for you and ate it."

Yang: „NOOOOOO! Blake, you didn't have to do this just for me! WHYYYYYYYYY!?"

Ruby laughed.

Ruby: „Okay now, that's enough. Wait a sec, I'll tell the others I've found you."

She took out her scroll and tapped away. A few moments later, she received an answer.

Ruby: „Goodie. They'll go back to the dorm."

Ruby started walking, motioning Yang to follow.

Ruby: „We gotta discuss our strategy for tomorrow. Ooooh, I'm so excited! We made it to the final round!"

Yang: „Yeah... Awesome!"

Ruby: „Yes, and all thanks to you! Oh, you're the bestest sister ever!"

Yang: „Geez, Rubes, come down from your cloud. It's awesome that we made it, but we haven't won yet."

Ruby: „Ah, c'mon, we're the heroes, you know. We have to win. It's, like, a law or something."

Yang: „I don't know what kind of comics you've been reading, but I'm sure they are intended for a slightly... younger audience."

Ruby: „Ugh, Yang, don't be a killjoy! We're going to kick ass tomorrow, period!"

Yang: „Okay, if you say so. But don't be disappointed if not everything goes perfectly. Just saiyan."

Ruby: „Don't worry. I'm not a baby anymore. Besides, all we have to do is win! Can't be that hard."

Yang said nothing. If loosing was harder than expected if you tried to, then how hard would winning be? Wait, what was she thinking? Winning was the last thing she wanted to do tomorrow. Ruby was already in danger of getting involved in this madness. They didn't have put up a neon sign pointing at her on top of that.

* * *

They were walking through the hallways of the dorms, getting close to their room when Ruby suddenly turned around to face her.

Ruby: „Before we go in, I have to ask you something."

Yang: „Of course. What dou you want, sis?"

Ruby: „Yang, do you have any secrets? Like, recent things that happened that you don't wanna talk about?"

Yang: „Wha-Where is this coming from?"

Ruby: „Yang, I am worried. And Blake, too. I don't know about Weiss... But if you have any troubles, just talk to us. I'm sure we'll find a way to help you with whatever problems you may have."

Yang: „Really, Rubes. I'm fine."

Ruby: „If you say so... Listen, I won't force you to tell us anything. I just want you to know we'll be there for you if you need us, like you were when Blake was overworking herself."

Yang: „No, really! I don't need your help. I'll be fine, you know. It's just... the pressure and anxiety from fighting in the tournament. I'll be the good ol' Yang again in no time, especially if we win."

Ruby looked her in the eyes.

…

Ruby: „Okay. Then we'll win. Simple as that."

Oh no, what had she done? She had just bolstered her morale. With Rubes in „I'm doing this-and-this for *insert person*" mode, she was practically unstoppable.

Ruby: „Soooo, now that that's off the table, we have a strategy to discuss."

* * *

They found Weiss and Blake arguing over a book.

Blake: „You don't even know why the relationship between Kazuhara and Mitsushi is so important to the plot! It's the kind of story where everything will only make sense if you read it twice and see the older chapters in a new light."

Weiss: „What do I care! The beginning was so slow and cringeworthy that I wanted to gauge my eyes out by the time I reached chapter two!"

Ruby: „Uhm, what are you guys arguing about?"

Blake: „The snow princess doesn't understand the meaning of true love!"

Weiss: „...Between Ninjas?"

Blake: „No! You didn't even understand that the ninja is symbolic of love gradually forming inside a persons heart, completely unnoticed until it has taken them over completely!"

Weiss: „That's disturbing! That's exactly like Cholera!"

Blake: „You're just making shit up now!"

Ruby: „GUUUUYS! Guys! Time out!"

The two girls calmed down, still glaring at each other nonetheless.

Ruby: „We shouldn't be fighting over trivial things like this right now. The final battle is tomorrow,

and Yang said winning would cheer her up."

Yang just smiled nervously.

Weiss: „...I hate to admit it, but you're right. We'll be in a situation none of us have faced before.

There will be two teams of enemies at once, but they will also be fighting each other."

Blake: „What if we just let the other teams tire each other out and score a clean victory?"

Weiss: „Of course! It's not like they'll ever expect THAT! …They won't be that stupid, you dunce!"

Blake: „Excuuuuse me, princess, but do you have a better plan?"

Weiss: „Of course... I just haven't thought it up yet..."

Blake: „Typical."

They started arguing again.

Ruby: „Stop! Listen! ...Yang, say something."

But as Ruby turned around, her sister was nowhere to be seen. She poked her head out of the door to see Yang walking around the corner.

Ruby: „YANG! WAIT!"

As she tried to run after her, someone grabbed her hood and held her back.

Ruby: „Let go! Who are-"

Looking up, Ruby was greeted with the face of a very irritated Glynda Goodwitch.

Goodwitch: „Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you, Miss Rose? Professor Ozpin wants to see you. And I'm sure he will be just as angry as I after waiting so long."

Ruby: „Sorry, but can he wait a little longer? I-"

Goodwitch: „NO!"

Despite great protest, Goodwitch dragged her all the way to the headmaster's office. As they came in, Ozpin stood up, in a rare moment of clearly visible joy.

Ozpin: „Finally!"

Goodwitch: „Here! I don't know what she's been up to, but here she is!"

Ozpin: „Thank you, Glynda. Why don't you go down to the staff room and get some tea?"

Goodwitch: „Oh, trust me. I will."

She slammed the door behind her as she exited the room, leaving Ruby alone with Ozpin.

Ruby: „I'm sorry! Whatever I've done, I'll never do it again! I-"

Ozpin: „No, I didn't call you here to punish you, Miss Rose. In fact, it couldn't be farther from the truth."

He tapped on some glowing points that popped up on the surface of his table, causing two opposing chairs to emerge from the floor.

Ozpin: „I just have a few questions."

* * *

 **We have returned to normalcy! For the moment... The next chapters will all be a little Ruby/Council Faction centric, but after the last few chapters, it will probably be a good contrast. And the first one to find every single pop culture reference in this one gets a cookie :)**


	7. Chapter 7: Guardian Part 1

**It's official: For the time being, this is gonna be a daily thing :) That last cliffhanger was evil, I know, but I had to quickly finish up the chapter to be able to still release it that day. Anyway, we'll be starting right where we left off.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Guardian Part 1**

Ruby sat down in one of the chairs, anxious to know what was going on. This whole situation seemed so strange and unreal to her, even though she had been ordered into the headmaster's office before and never had a problem. Ozpin sat down on the other chair, putting his cane down between his legs and looking her deep in the eyes.

Ozpin: „Ruby Rose... I must admit, you have shown yourself to be quite remarkable. Even though you have two years less experience than most students of this academy, you are amongst the most skilled Huntresses ever to attend it."

Ruby: „Th-thank you, sir."

Ozpin: „Would you like some water? I see you are still nervous."

Ruby: „No, I'm fine. But thanks."

Ozpin: „Then let me continue. What I wanted to ask you is, for what reason do you want to become a huntress?"

Ruby: „Wait, haven't we talked about this already? You know, back after I tried to go after Torchwick and helped out Miss Goodwitch?"

Ozpin: „Yes, but I wanted to know whether your reasons for following that path have changed over the course of your time here."

Ruby: „Nope."

Ozpin: „Excuse me?"

Ruby: „Nope. They haven't. ...But what has changed is my conviction. The world out there is full of evil people, trying to destroy the peace and hurt others. I have seen it myself. When the train opened up that tunnel and Grimm almost overran the city, I realized that I couldn't just act like a child anymore. If evil tries to take over the world, someone needs to stop it. And if I didn't at least try, what good of a Huntress would I be, really? The others figured that out long before me, though..."

Ozpin: „Is that so? Well, I'm glad to hear that."

He made himself more comfortable, moving a bit away from her face.

Ozpin: „Then, I have another question here: An unmanned train waggon is on a collision course with another waggon, containing twenty people. You are standing at the controls and are able to send it over to another rail so that it will miss the other waggon. But on that other track, a waggon containing Miss Xiao Long has come to a halt. What will you do? Will you intervene to save the people on the first waggon? Or will you sacrifice their lives for your sister's?"

Ruby: „I- I don't even..."

She thought about it for almost a minute. Ozpin patiently waited, correcting the position of his glasses at the opportunity.

Ruby: „I would do it. I would push the button, pull the lever or whatever I needed to do in order to save those people."

Ozpin: „Miss Xiao Long would inevitably die, you are aware of that?"

Ruby: „Yes. But I also know she would do the same. We can't just act selfish, sacrificing others for our personal interests. Otherwise, we would be no different from Torchwick or the White Fang."

Ozpin: „Interesting..."

He stood up and went over to his desk. It lighted up again just like a scroll being woken from sleep mode. He put his finger on a circular icon and said:

Ozpin: „Come in. I believe we have found our Guardian."

* * *

Yang: „CINDER!"

She threw open the door to Summers room. Her step-mother was nowhere to be seen, only Mercury was there, lying in bed with a pack of ice on his forehead.

Mercury: „Uuuugh, shut up! You're making my head hurt even more than it already did!"

Yang: „YOU!"

She went over to his bed and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

Yang: „How could you fuck up beating up someone who was TRYING to loose!? Because of you, we're in deep shit right now!"

Mercury avoided looking her in the eyes.

Mercury: „Yeah, yeah, beat me up even more. It's not like I've had enough after that whipping from Cinder."

She was going to fulfill his wish right there, but when she noticed the cuts and bruises all over his face, she felt a little bad and stopped herself. Summer must have really let herself go this time. The spanking she got after leaving the one-year-old Ruby alone on a park bench to go play with her friends was nothing compared to what he probably just went through.

Yang: „Forget it. Can you tell me where Cinder is?"

Mercury: „She and Emerald went away to talk things over with the White Fang."

Yang: „Okay, and where can I find them?"

As Mercury was about to answer, a petite, black haired girl wearing a black tanktop and skirt with white laces entered the room.

?: „Hey, asshole! I got your coke!"

She threw a can of cola at him.

Mercury: „Thanks a lot, Neo..."

Yang stared at her.

Yang: „You..."

Neo: „Oh shit!"

* * *

The entire group had assembled around Ruby: Ozpin, Goodwitch, General Ironwood and, surprisingly, her uncle Qrow. They were all eyeing her appraisingly.

Ironwood: „I'm sorry, but are you sure that this little girl is the one we have been looking for?"

Ozpin: „I am as sure as I can be. Remember, we don't have much time left. She is our last chance."

Goodwitch: „I can confirm her skill, at least. Her skill has so far only been surpassed by Miss Nikos."

As the other three were arguing, Qrow only stared at her, deep in thought.

Ruby: „Uncle Qrow?"

Qrow: „Wait, who, what? ...Sorry, kinda was somewhere else there for a minute."

Ruby: „What's going on? What are they talking about?"

Qrow: „About some ancient prophecy bullshit they want you to fulfill."

Ruby: „Oh. Cooooooooool!"

He facepalmed. Of course Ruby would react like that.

Ozpin: „This matter is not to be taken lightly Miss Rose. All Guardians that came before have faught... and fallen. It is a role of sacrifice, young lady, and not one just anybody can assume."

Ruby: „Wait, so... if I fullfill that prophecy-thingy, I will die?"

Ironwood: „Well, it is not a certainty, but there has been no precedent for a different outcome."

Ozpin: „Take some time to think this throu-"

Ruby: „I'll do it."

Qrow: „What!?"

Ozpin: „Miss Rose, do you not wish to hear what all this is about before deciding?"

Ruby: „...Okay, fine. Give me a rundown of the basics."

Ironwood: „If I may,"

He took out his scroll and tapped on it for a moment, after which the giant gear in the middle of the room stopped and started projecting a holographic screen. Three black figures appeared on the left side, while the right displayed „Senatus Saecula Ordinem" in bold letters.

?: „We see, a Guardian has been found."

?: „This is a satisfactory result. See to it that she is properly prepared. Show her what lies deep below Beacon."

Ironwood: „Yes, Senator Brutus."

The circle around Ruby opened up towards the door, Ironwood motioning her to stand up.

Ironwood: „Come with me. We have a long ride ahead of us."

* * *

Neo: „Ow! Ouchiiiiiiie!"

Yang had pinned her down, that smug little bitch. Oh, sweet revenge!

Mercury: „That's what you get for acting like a di- nevermind."

Yang: „Not so in-control now, kiddo?"

Neo: „Hngh! I'm twenty-two!"

Yang: „The way you squirm suggests twelve."

She pulled at the petite's arm.

Neo: „Aaaaaaaagh!"

Mercury: „Okay, chill out, blondie! Aren't you supposed to be on our side now?"

Yang begrudgingly let go of Neo and let her get back on her feet.

Yang: „Okay, okay, now we're even. Before Cinder goes apeshit."

Just as she said that, Mercury's and Neo's scrolls received messages.

Neo: „It's from Cinder!"

Mercury: „'Emergency! Prepare for plan G immediately!'"

Plan G? That meant...

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED XD**

 **You'll notice that I'm trying to broaden the roster of characters. Let me explain why: I originally intended this to be around 10 chapters long, but the ideas that popped up in my head over the course of the last few days led me to speculate that this might go on a „little" longer... This is probably going to turn into a longer story than the actual series. I'm just so on fire right now :) Anyway, until tomorrow :)**


	8. Chapter 8: Guardian Part 2

**Okay, this is gonna get slightly crazy again. Not as crazy as chapter 5, but still somewhat crazy. I'm really excited for the parts to come, they're gonna be great, especially once we get to the final round... Yeah, a lot of stuff happened on this day already. Poor Yang.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Guardian Part 2**

After Ruby and the General left the headmaster's office, they got on the elevator. Instead of simply pressing a number to go down, Ironwood entered a several digits long code, which set the elevator in motion.

Ruby: „Uuuhm..."

Ironwood: „Yes, don't hesitate to ask me anything."

Ruby: „I just wanted a rundown... Where are you taking me?"

Ironwood: „Instead of telling potential Guardians about the reality of this world, the Senate and its servants prefer to... show them."

Ruby: „Senate? What Senate? That group that was really bad at Latin?"

Ironwood: „Yes- I mean no- I mean, yes! The Senate of Eternal Order is a group of highly revered officials hailing from all over Remnant. You know the official story, am I right? That the Academies are independent from the control of any and all Kingdoms?"

Ruby: „Yes."

Ironwood: „Well, that is only half true. Behind the courtains, all power in the world is controlled by the Senate."

Ruby: „So wait- Isn't that, like, a really bad thing?"

Ironwood: „No, not at all, really. The Senate is comprised of elected representatives from all Kingdoms of Remnant, as well as the headmasters of the four academies. While the headmasters retain their seats for as long as they hold their positions, the other senators have to be re-elected every three years. That way, no one individual can hold on to power for very long."

Ruby: „Oh. Still seems kinda sketchy, though."

They had been heading downwards for several minutes now.

Ruby: „Mister Ironwood?"

Ironwood: „Yes?"

Ruby: „Shouldn't we have reached the basement by now?"

The General smirked as she said that.

Ironwood: „Well, we don't intend to go to the normal basement floor of Beacon. No, we are going much, much deeper underground."

The elevator slowly came to a halt.

Ironwood: „And indeed, we are there."

As the doors opened, Ruby was struck with awe at what she saw.

* * *

Damnit! Why couldn't Raven show up now? A „ride" would've been really nice this time around. Mercury had decided to stay in bed, believing himself to not be of any use for the moment, and told Yang where the spot was where Cinder was supposed to meet the White Fang leader, Adam. No airships were headed for Vale for another hour, so Neo and her got on Bumblebee and sped off on the small road going down the mountain Beacon was situated on.

Neo: „WowowowoWOW! A little slower, you madwoman! I'm going to fall off! I'll fall off!"

Yang: „Stop complainin' or you can walk!"

Neo was quiet from then on. Seriously, she liked her better when she thought she was mute. Yang always hated driving down this road: it was very narrow and nothing stood between them and a very steep drop into the forest below. Not that she was afraid of heights, but motorcycles are expensive and her dad would absolutely murder her if she broke another one.

It was a pretty long drive to the old industial area near the harbour, but they managed to get there in just under fifty minutes. The meeting was supposed to take place in an old Schnee Dust Company refinery. After knocking at the door, a White Fang member poked his head outside.

White Fang member: „Password"

Yang: „Uhm, yeah, uuuuuh..."

Neo: „Cougar."

White Fang member: „Alright, you can pass."

He opened the door and let them through.

Inside, Cinder and Emerald were sitting at a table, opposite to a young, red haired man wearing an unique looking White Fang Grimm mask. Was this the „Adam" she had heard about?

Adam: „I'm telling you, our forces can't participate in this mad war of yours anymore. An attack on the arena would be nothing more than suicide."

Cinder: „Oh Adam, do you still believe this is just about the humans? No, if you can't keep the Atlas lackeys occupied, the world of peace you seek for your brethren will become an impossibility."

Adam: „Sorry, but no. I have already sacrificed too many lives for the sake of your... mad delusions. I refuse to take part in this any longer. Thank you for wasting our time and resources."

Summer stood up, trying her best not to explode in his face. Yang had never seen her this... desperate. Then again, the life of her only real daughter was on the line... What was Yang thinking? She was Summers daughter just as much as Ruby, even though they may not be blood relatives. Summer walked away from the table, towards them. Emerald followed.

Yang: „Didn't go too well?"

Cinder: „Let's just get out of here, before he remembers we are humans."

Neo: „Yeah, you really needed us here, I see."

Yang: „Should I punch her teeth out?"

Cinder: „Hmmmmmm... No."

Yang looked down in severe disappointment.

Emerald: „Don't worry. We'll beat her up someday, I promise."

The White Fang Member was surprised to see the four women leaving so soon as he went to unlock the door for them. Yang had parked Bumblebee right next to the VTOL Summer and Emerald used to get around, as they explained to her. Neo decided to ride with them, likely to avoid that horrible mountain road. Yang had to drive all the way back again in the dark. In a way she could understand Neo. This was getting really stressy.

* * *

In front of the elevator, a giant rectangular platform, several kilometers in diameter, encircled the remains of two enormors beings. Eaten away by time, nothing but their bones remained. They looked like they had once been part of two oversized humans, just with the addition of wings and, on one of them, relatively small horns on their head.

Ruby: „What is this...?"

Ironwood: „These two beings once ruled over our world. Do you remember how man is said to have come to be?"

Ruby: „In the beginning, G-"

Ironwood: „No, not that one!"

Ruby: „Right, sorry. In the beginning, man was born from dust. He was strong, wise and resourceful. But the world he was born in was unforgiving. Inevitably, the darkness, in the form of the Grimm, targeted him and drove him close to extinction. But then he discovered dust and was able to fight back."

Ironwood: „Yes. That, Miss Rose, is also but a mere fairy tale to hide the truth and prevent chaos."

Ruby continued to stare at the figures in the distance.

Ruby: „That's a lot to take in... All I thought I knew, nothing but lies."

Ironwood: „I said the exact same thing the first time Ozpin brought me here."

Ruby: „So the Professor has been part of this for even longer than you?"

Ironwood: „He is older than he seems, trust me."

Ruby: „You still haven't answered my question, though."

Ironwood: „I apologize. Those two skeletons you see before you are what remains of the Queen of Grimm and the God of Order."

Ruby: „What?"

Ironwood: „All life has two aspects to it. Humans and faunus are capable of both positive and negative feelings. Good..."

Ruby: „...and bad."

Ironwood: „Right. A long time ago, a divine being of endless power created the sea of stars that is our universe. No one knew where it came from, but what we know is that, for a long time, everything was peaceful. But then, for reasons still unknown, this being split into two parts: Chaos and Order. Those two forces fought each other for millions of years, until they both perished, their immense power exhausted."

He turned her around to look him in the eyes.

Ironwood: „Our lives today, our world, is a product of that battle. Do you know why this planet is called Remnant?"

Ruby: „I... would be lying if I said I did."

Ironwood: „When you look up at the moon, you can see it for yourself. This is not man's original home, Miss Rose. To replenish their energy, the Gods needed to feed on emotions. Our emotions. Their battle ravaged our old home, Eden, eventually resulting in its destruction.

This was six thousand years ago."

Ruby: „Then, what happened?"

Ironwood: „Humanity was weak. Only a few survivors escaped to Edens moon, Remnant. Four ships arrived that day, creating the foundation for the four Kingdoms you know today. But the Gods, dependent on our energy, followed us here, almost putting out the last few glimmers of hope we still had. But then..."

Ruby: „What? What?"

Ironwood: „Quite suddenly, they dropped dead. Right here, where they still remain today. A short period of peace followed, allowing us to rebuild and increase our numbers again. But before long, a new threat arose."

Ruby: „The Grimm."

Ironwood: „Exactly. The Grimm were merciless. They struck suddenly and without warning, eradicating entire cities in days. It was soon discovered that the source of their activity was a small frontier village. And what we found there was something shocking. The Grimm follow a leader, you see. This leader is the reincarnation of the Queen of Grimm."

Ruby: „How do you know this?"

Ironwood: „I was about to explain. To combat this threat, scientists worked day and night to find a solution. And, just as all hope seemed lost, we found it – We had to harness the power of the God of Order. But to do that, we needed a human vessel. Someone so pure of heart and selfless in their actions that they could be trusted to wield such power. And this, Miss Rose, is the role the Guardians play. The role you will play. The Queen of Grimm is reborn in an endless cycle, and every generation, a Guardian rises to stop her, dying in the process."

Ruby: „So, to save humanity from inevitable doom, someone has to sacrifice themselves?"

Ironwood: „I am afraid it is so. Knowing this, the whole scale of this conflict, are you still willing to accept such a great responsibility?"

Ruby: „Of course!"

The General smiled.

Ironwood: „I'm glad to hear that."

He went back into the elevator.

Ironwood: „Come, there's nothing more to see here, nothing more to talk about. Ozpin will explain all the details to you."

And so, they started their long journey back towards the surface. „The Queen of Grimm...", Ruby thought. „So that's who's behind all of this. That woman I saw back then, the one with the amber eyes... she has to be the one." And up and up the elevator went, back towards the school, back towards the world she had known for so long. She would protect that world, no matter the cost! Like her mother did before her.

* * *

 **I lied. It was just as crazy. Anyways, don't worry, none of this actually contradicts Raven's story. It will all be explained in more detail in a later chapter. How much later, I won't tell.**


	9. Chapter 9: The Last Hope

**I almost can't believe it myself, but we are nearing the end... of what basically amounts to the prologue, that is. Everything is going to change quite drastically pretty soon. Many characters' allegiances will shift around, and probably many new ones will be introduced, including most of the usual RWBY cast that didn't have much of a role in the story yet *caugh*Team JNPR*caugh*.**

 **I will also introduce some OCs made specifically for this story. If you've read my profile, you know that I also write original works of fiction (this being a good deal of fun and practice). So don't expect these to be some kind of „for teh lulz" abominations or shameless, sloppy self inserts, but rather supporting characters to fill roles that are required for the story. The cast of RWBY will, of course, always remain the focal point.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: The Last Hope**

The moon shone brightly through the glass front of the Atlas flagship. Two masked men, one short and slightly overweight, the other tall and muscular, were sneaking around in the shadows, avoiding the occasional guard and slowly inching ever closer to a certain cell near the front of the ship. When they finally reached it, one of them whispered:

Chubby man: „You got the scroll with the code, Tuk-Wa?"

Tuk-Wa: „Right here. Overriding lock... success!"

The door opened and out came a very sleepy redhead.

Roman: „Ah, finally decided to show up, eh?"

Chubby man: „Yeah, but can you really blame us? It was hard to get on this ship to begin with, let alone getting off again. The boss needed some time to plan it all out."

Tuk-Wa: „She also needed some time to find us. Braun and I continued to lay low for a while, as planned."

Roman: „Better late than never, I guess. First things first, hand me one of my sweet Menagerians."

Braun got out a little case containing cigars, lit one and gave it to Roman.

Roman: „Aaaaah, yeah! How I missed that wonderful lung poison! Anyway, the plan?"

Tuk-Wa: „The boss is waiting just below the hangar with her VTOL. If we can manage to slip out as quietly as we came in, we-"

Braun: „Guys? Atlesian Knights. Right there."

A large number of guards were pointing their guns at them, blocking their way to the elevators.

Roman: „Oh jolly, this is gonna be a fun ride!"

Tuk-Wa readied his weapon, Claw-and-Fang, chain sickles with integrated shotguns in the grips. Braun, following his example, took out Heatwave, a shortsword that could be fired from its hilt and swung around at a great distance with the help of a cable connecting them.

Braun: „Ready to dust of those muscles of yours?"

Tuk-Wa: „I'll take the right, you the left. Got it?"

Bullets started flying. Roman took a step back into his cell, out of the line of fire. Tuk-Wa jumped right in, dodging the guards' fire. He buried Fang in the head of one of them, destroying its central processor. Anoter one tried to attack him from the side while he was pulling it out, but Claw's shotgun made short work of his arms. He used the leftover force as Claw popped out of his fallen enemie's metallic skull to send it flying backwards, swinging it in a circle and causing serious damage to any robots standing within range.

Braun didn't waste his time in trying to one-up him. He shot Heatwave's blade into a gap between the rows, and swept around three dozen guards to the side at once, destroying those who were hit by the bladed tip and some others who were crushed by the weight of their comerades. In an arching movement, he destroyed another row, flattening many with the cable.

Roman, in the meantime, was sitting in his cell, calmly smoking his cigar and listening to the orchestra outside. Ah, how he would love to join them, if only he had his cane...

After a few minutes, the sounds of shots being fired and metal clashing died down. They had successfully taken out all of the guards, but they still had to get off the ship. Reinforcements would soon arrive, so they ran for the elevator.

Tuk-Wa: „Not bad, Brownie! But not enough. 248 Atlesian Knights is still less than 252. Gotta try harder next time, buddy."

Braun: „You just took all the ones I had softened up for you and finished them off. If I weren't here to cover your ass, you'd be mush by now."

Roman: „Ah, how I've missed you guys."

Braun: „Oh really? I didn't know you liked us that mu-"

Tuk-Wa: „Are you dense? He was being sarcastic!"

Braun: „No way! Tell him, Ro. He's got it aaaaaall wrong, right?"

Roman rolled his eyes.

* * *

Yang buried her face deep into her pillow. She and Blake were the only ones in the room, Weiss having gone out to take a bath and Ruby being who-knows-where. Everything that could go wrong was going wrong. Plan G, as it had been explained to her, went as follows: During the winners ceremony tomorrow, warriors of the White Fang were supposed to storm the arena, smoke bombs being set off to cause confusion. Raven would then teleport in with a portal and grab Ruby, before the ceremony could be completed. But now, as the White Fang had decided to withdraw their support, the worst possible scenario seemed inevitable. Plan H, the last hope, was for someone to kill Ruby before she could receive the powers of a Guardian. It was too much! It was just too much. For the first time in years, the brawler cried rivers of tears. Her baby sister was going to die. It was inevitable at this point. Ruby...

Blake, noticing the whimpering and sobbing above her head, put her book aside.

Blake: „Why are you crying?"

Yang: „...Don't... I don't wanna talk about it."

Blake: „Okay, this is starting to drive me mad. Listen to you! You're a fucking hypocrite! Always telling us how important it is to trust each other, but not even trusting us yourself! We know something's wrong, but if you 'don't wanna talk about it', how the hell are we supposed to help you!?"

Yang: „You can't help me! That's the problem!"

Blake: „You don't even let us try!"

Yang: „You wouldn't understand-"

Blake: „BULLSHIT! I was a member of the White Fang, don't forget that! Back when you found out, I also thought that you wouldn't understand, or wouldn't be able to live with it! If we were able to get through that, nothing can break us apart."

Yang didn't say anything. She just continued crying, but slowly calming down until she lifted up her face.

Yang: „Promise me you won't tell the others?"

Blake: „Is it that bad?"

Yang nodded.

Blake: „...I'll promise."

Yang wiped the last tears from her lilac eyes.

Yang: „I might have to kill my sister."

Blake was speechless.

Blake: „Wh-what!? Why? Explain!"

Yang tried her best to explain the situation to her, leaving out some unneeded details here and there that would have probably made her sound insane.

Yang: „...And that's where we are now. What do I do? Please, if you have any more ideas, tell me!"

Blake: „Ok, calm down. Listen: How do you know Raven is not just using your relationship to manipulate you? Do you have anything other than her word for it?"

Yang: „You can't possibly mean my mom..."

Blake: „Yes, I do. While I won't say it has to be that way, you also shouldn't just blindly believe everything she says, no questions asked. It was that same naivety that kept me with the White Fang for so long, even after Adam took over."

Yang: „...I'll think about what you said. I... I just don't know what's right or wrong anymore..."

She let her head slump back into the pillow. Could Blake be right? Was her mother lying? And Summer, even though her tears seemed just as real as hers...?

* * *

The hangar was filled with engineers and other civilian workers that kept the airships running smoothly. Roman, Tuk-Wa and Braun tried to sneak around them along the poorly lit walls, but Braun accidentally stepped into a tool box and drew the attention of the entire hall to them for a moment, resulting in a panic. People were running around frantically, trying to get away from them or hide behind objects. Really, they shouldn't have snuck around in the first place, if that's how the Atlas military reacted to them. Fear. Three men struck fear into the hearts of hundreds. Roman couldn't help but smile a bit at the thought.

A VTOL rose to reveal its open side to them.

Tuk-Wa: „Go!"

They dashed towards their ride, pushing away anyone crossing their path. Just after they had gotten on and as the door was closing, they could see a group of Atlesian Knights storming in from the elevator.

Roman: „Hurry up, Neo! Get us outta here!"

Neo: „Fuck! Workin' on it!"

Bullets started fying towards the VTOL, but in the last second, it dove down and away from the hangar. The three of them were relieved.

Roman: „Man, that was worse than my ex-wife on days I came home drunk!"

Braun: „Really? I thought it was fun. All the suspense in the air you know. Really got my blood boiling."

Tuk-Wa: „Wow, with that attitude, you're gonna be in good shape again really quickly."

Roman: „What happened to him, anyway? I don't remember him being this FAT!"

The two laughed.

Braun: „What? It's a genetic thing. If I dont get my exercise, I gain weight extremely quickly."

Tuk-Wa: „Oh, so the 17 cheeseburgers each and every day didn't have ANTHING to do with it. Good to know."

Neo: „Could you please shut up back there? You're making me wanna smash your stupid faces in."

Tuk-Wa: „Fuck you!"

Roman: „Trust me, I'll fuck her real good."

Braun: „Aww, c'mon. Did we really need to hear that?"

Roman: „What? What's wrong about a good, consensual sexual relationship between friends?"

Neo: „...You mean between assholes who can't get anyone else?"

Roman: „T'is the same thing."

Much bickering filled the confines of the small VTOL on its way to the outskirts of Vale that night...

* * *

 **How did you like my test-characters? I'm testing the waters a bit right now and would like to hear from you whether they fit in, so leave a review. Their appearances will be expanded on later, because they were in disguise for rather obvious story reasons. To explain the names: Tuk-Wa (slightly Korean inspired, probably no real name anywhere) can be pronounced very similarly to turqoise, and Braun is the German word for brown. I went with the basic color formula, because I couldn't think of a good team name for them (although they aren't technically a „team" in the traditional sense, anyway). And yes, Neo is the leader. Maybe a bit shocking for now, but someday you will understand why...**


	10. Chapter 9-5: Traitor

**Okay, so I'm a little bit busy and the next chapter is gonna be a bit longer than usual, so I decided to write something small to keep my promise of daily updates. This will provide some minor insight into the Senate of Eternal Order and adress something I actually forgot to before that could have made the whole „we have to kill Ruby" thing seem like an overreaction.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9.5: Traitor**

The Senate sat assembled in the Hall of Righteous Judgement. They had just received news that a suitable Guardian had been found. Senator Nero of Atlas stood on the podium up front, ready to speak.

Nero: „Ladies! Gentlemen! The long awaited time has come! The salvation of mankind is only hours away now! It is through our combined efforts that this dream could be made reality!"

He let his gaze wander across the room.

Nero: „But, I fear to tell that not all is yet set into stone! Traitors have infested our ranks, and they will stop at nothing to prevent the future we seek!"

The senators began to whisper amongst themselves. His words had definitely raised concearns, just as planned.

Nero: „We do not know who the traitors are, neither how many of them there are, but critical information has been leaked to the enemy time and time again. Because of this, I ask of you to be cautious and report any suspicious activities you might witness to the Consuls as quickly as possible."

The atmosphere in the hall grew tense. Senators started screaming accusations at each other, some of these arguments even escalated into fist fights. Nero stepped down from the podium. He had done his part. Was there a traitor? Yes, definitely. And he was the only one who knew his name...

* * *

Summer lay in her bed, unable to sleep. It was her fault. It was all her fault. If she hadn't messed up the cycle back then... No, she shouldn't think that way. She did what she did because she believed it to be the right thing. The only regret she had, the only thing that kept bothering her, was that she wasn't even able to see eye to eye with her daughter even one last time.

Her scroll rang. Who would write her a message this late at night?

From: Nero

Subject: Seed of discord has been planted

The senate is in disarray. I have successfully sown distrust between them. What is the next move?

From: C. Fall

Subject: Re: Seed of discord has been planted

The operation has been called off. The White Fang no longer supports us.

From: Nero

Subject: Wait a second!

Don't give up so soon! I was able to acquire the control schemes you needed. Just use the infected robots.

That was it! The robots! She would have wanted to jump into his arms right now, exploding with joy. They had been successful in infecting a significant part of the Atlas military with the Black Queen virus, but their control schemes were strange and cryptic, the source code protected by a password they didn't know. They had been effectively useless to them until now. But this was a game changer.

From: C. Fall

Subject: Re: Wait a second!

Nero, you don't know how much I love you right now! Send them to me, plan G will be executed with slight alterations.

As for your part: Continue to observe. A lot of your work should be doing itself from now on. Just relax and watch them beat each other up XD

She almost couldn't believe it. Everything seemed like a happy end could come to be. With that knowledge, she fell asleep quickly, paying no mind to the message containing the files. Those could wait until tomorrow.

* * *

 **As I said, just a quick thing. I had actually forgotten about that whole robot business for some reason, but what the hell, I remembered it just in time for the big battle that will change everything :) So stay tuned for the craziness that awaits tomorrow.**


	11. Chapter 10: The Death of Innocence

**Welcome to the chapter that will change EVERYTHING. This is gonna be a really long one. After this one, We're gonna have a major change of tone and setting. I'm not gonna tell you what it is, but you should probably be excited for it.**

 **The third team in the final round is completely original, being team JSTR from Haven. They are a team consisting entirely of Faunus. Their members are:**

 **June Rattle: An extremely acrobatic snake faunus. Her fighting style includes shooting needles at her enemies that induce rather nasty effects...**

 **Shark Finn: A powerful shark faunus fighting with a gladius capable of electrical discharges. Unbeatable in the water, as his semblance (immunity to electrical shocks) lets him easily fry his opponents while he himself remains unharmed.**

 **Tort Louise: A turtle faunus who fights with a giant shield. He is mostly a slow defender unable to deal significant damage, but able to tank anything thrown at him.**

 **Réné Láng: A wolf faunus focused on claw combat. She is very agile and strong, but also very rash in her decisions.**

 **I don't know if they will ever show up again, but I'm putting this basic info on them in here just to help you get the feel for them.**

 **Now then, I got nothing more to say other than: enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: The Death of Innocence**

(WARNING! Read the author's notes or you'll have no idea who June, Shark, Tort and Réné are!)

The crowd cheered, the contestants entered the arena. Three teams stood there, in the center, in a triangle formation: team RWBY and team JNPR of Beacon, and team JSTR of Haven. Even Yang was in a really good mood. Just before the match, Summer had approached her, telling her that plan G could still be executed. It felt almost comical, really. After all the stress yesterday, they would just be competing as if everything was normal. But, of course, it wasn't. After the fight, when the winners were to stand before the Crystal of Hope, the operation would commence and Ruby kidnapped.

The biomes were chosen; 4, one for every quarter of the circular arena. On team RWBY's side emerged a swamp, JNPR was sandwiched between jungle and savanna. Team JSTR ended up with a shallow lagoon behind them. The signal rang, and everyone got into position. Shark made a backflip into the water. Jaune and Pyrrha retreated into the tall grass while Ren and Nora jumped up into the tree tops. Weiss and Ruby completely ignored them and went in for an attack against June. The heiress used her glyphs to enhance her partner's speed, trying to send their opponent flying in one swing, but Crescent Rose's blade was stopped by an enormous shield. Tort had come in from the side and skillfully redirected the power of the strike, flinging Ruby into the jungle.

In the meantime, Blake had hidden herself in the muddy puddles of the swamp. Looking to her left, she saw a certain supposed „ninja" standing on a tree branch, waiting for someone to foolishly walk into his trap. Little did he know that he was just presenting himself on a silver platter for any semi-decent marksman. She took aim, and shot. Ren was completely blindsighted and fell off the tree as the bullet hit. Still, according to the info screen, he had only taken very slight damage... but suddenly, his entire aura was drained and a girlish scream was heard from the jungle.

Nora: „YOU! FUCKIN'! MONSTER!"

She tried to bring her hammer down on Réné, but the wolf girl calmly stepped aside with a malicious smile, causing Nora's weapon to get stuck in the ground. Immediately, burning claws were slashing at her from all angles.

Ruby was a little dazed after she was luckily stopped by a tree just a few meters away from a ring out. Very close to her, she could hear Nora cursing in anger and pain. She got up and blasted off into the direction of her voice, to find her getting mauled by Réné. With a wide swing, Ruby caught her by surprise and she was thrown down to the ground.

Ruby: „Are you alright, Nora?"

The redhead didn't say anything, but ran out of the forest. Right, they were enemies in this, too, weren't they...

Yang was standing on a rock, unable to reach any other larger body of land. Shark's tactic was really unfair: If she just as much as touched the water, the match would be over for her. He just kept circling around her miniscule island, waiting for her to do something rash. But, in a twist of fate, Nora came running out of the forest just in time. Yang just had to make sure that she saw the opportunity for charging up. She dipped the tip of her boot into the water, and Shark immediately sent out an electric shock. Yang pulled back, having achieved her goal as Nora was running towards them, grinning. There was a loud splash as she jumped into the water, and Shark did exactly what they thought he would: He let out another shock, fueling the power of Nora's semblance.

Nora „HAHAHA! Fear my power, lowlifes!"

She brought down her hammer on Sharks head, damaging his aura enough to send him into the red zone, removing him from the equation. But as soon as she was finished with him, her eyes locked onto Yang.

Yang: „Oh shit..."

She made a run for it, the red haired maniac with a hammer following closely behind her.

Weiss probably had the hardest time of them all. She had to take on both June and Tort alone. She couldn't get close to June, because her partner was blocking all attempts to attack her. All the while, a myriad of needles were being fired at her, getting increasingly harder to dodge. Just as she was about to retreat, a figure covered in mud emerged from the swamp. Blake threw one end of Gambol Shroud over to Weiss, who took it and helped her swing past Tort's impenetrable line of defense. In one swing, she took out June. Truly a glass cannon, she thought.

While Tort was stunned by what just happened, Weiss used a glyph to send him flying up into the air, jumped after him and thrust Myrtenaster into the now exposed, open side of his armor, doing massive damage. However, the heavy tank didn't want to go down without a fight and grabbed her arm. They slammed into the ground at full speed, incapacitating them both.

Ruby was chasing after Réné. Her speed was unbelievable. They were evenly matched, and that with Ruby's semblance.

Réné: „Heh. How funny! Little Red Riding Hood chasing after the big, bad wolf! Just you know..."

She suddenly turned around and swung her clawed hand in Rubys direction.

Réné: „...It's not gonna end any different than the fairy tale!"

Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! Yang didn't see that coming. She was so used to Nora being on her side, she forgot they were in a competition. She ran into the tall grass, trying to get out of her predatorial sight. For a moment, she felt safe, surrounded by the wall of yellowish green, but then she bumped into something.

Jaune: „Jeowch!"

Jackpot! Jaune was a pushover! Yang would easily be able to take him out. Nora was too hard for now, but he was just perfect. She tried to punch him, but he blocked with his shield and swung his sword at her legs, sweeping her off her feet.

Jaune: „Don't underestimate me! PYRRHA! I got one!"

Pyrrha quickly dashed to his side and got ready to stab Yang, but she barrel rolled out of the way just in time and got back up. She ran away, firing behind herself to gain speed, and finally broke free onto the open field. Blake was heading her way, and as he was passing her, she grabbed a part of Gambol shroud. They changed direction, drawing a circle around the spot Yang had emerged from. As Pyrrha and Jaune jumped out of the grass, they got caught in the ribbon and were ready to be tied up like a present.

Réné's claw had torn a bad rip into Ruby's sleeve, but had done next to no damage. She used Crescent Rose to keep her at a distance so she couldn't strike. The longer this went on, the more enraged Réné got. Suddenly, she stopped attacking. She turned around and started running again.

Ruby: „Hey! No fair!"

Réné: „No fair my ass! If you wanna fight, come after me!"

They got out of the jungle and ended up in the savanna. Réné turned to the side and ran towards the center of the arena. This was getting exhausting! But Ruby couldn't lose, not now that she was about to become a Guardian! It would be highly emberassing.

Two figures simultaneously jumped out of the savanna towards the center: Réné Láng and Nora Valkyrie. For a second, their eyes met. In the next, claws were buried in the area around Nora's kidneys and a hammer had struck Réné's head.

Oobleck: „WE HAVE A WINNER! With only one team mate down, team RWBY from Beacon Academy are the champions of this year's Vytal Festival!"

The crowd went crazy. Popcorn was flying as people screamed their lungs out in congratulation. Ruby jumped at Yang, squeezing her and burying her face in her breasts.

Ruby: „YAAAAAAAY! We did it! We are the champions!"

Yang: „Yeah, thanks to those two retards taking each other out."

She looked down at Nora and Réné, smiling the smile of a victor.

* * *

Summer was sitting between the rows of people going crazy. Just a few more minutes...

The losers left the arena and the biomes were lifted back down under the arena.

Oobleck: „I would like to remind the crowd that the tournament has not properly ended yet. The Vytal Festival committee asks of you to keep your calm until the winner's ceremony has been completed."

Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang stepped back into the four quarters of the arena. The middle opened up, and a massive, light blue dust crystal emerged from the underground.

Oobleck: „Now, the leader of the winner's team shall put her hand to the Crystal of Hope and speak the following words: 'For the peace and prosperity of Remnant I fight; To its future and the people I devote my life; Its enemies I shall smite; To protect this world from fear and fright.'"

Ruby began to step closer to the crystal, but before she could reach it, screams could be heard and smoke began to rise all over the stadium. Yang didn't lose any time and dashed towards Ruby, to back up Raven just in case.

Raven had to act quickly. She had only a few seconds worth of confusion until the enemy would try to stop them, and she had to make them count! She leapt from the portal, ready to grab Ruby, but while in the air, she was hit in the stomach.

Qrow: „Look who we have here... Good thing I hid close by, just in case."

He kicked her another time.

Ruby: „Uncle Qrow, what is going on!?"

Qrow: „Oh, nothin'. Just the Queen of Grimm tryin' to kill ya."

Raven was struggling to get up, but Qrow was getting ready to beat her down into submission again.

Qrow: „Oh no, it's not goin' down like last time. Prepare to face justice!"

He drew his sword, preparing to strike, but was struck in the back before he could finish Raven off.

Qrow: „What the...!?"

Behind him stood Yang, her eyes burning in a shade of crimson.

Yang: „Sorry, uncle, but Ruby will not die for your fucked up agenda!"

Qrow: „Oh, I see. You've even brainwashed HER now."

Raven: „Yang! I can take him on! Stop your sister!"

Yang looked to where Ruby was standing just a second ago, just to find that she was running towards the crystal.

Yang: „Ruby! Wait!"

She ran after her as fast as she could, boosting herself with Ember Celica. Just a few more meters, then...

Ruby touched the crystal.

Ruby: „For the peace and prosperity of Remnant I fight! To its future and the people I devote my life! Its enemies I shall smite! To protect this world from fear and fright!"

The crystal began to glow brightly, enveloping the entire area and blinding Yang. Then, a massive shockwave sent her flying back towards – and through – the wall.

* * *

Oobleck: „Everyone! Stay calm! I repeat! Stay calm! Follow the directions given by the Atlas military and evacuate through the east entrance! I repeat! Follow the directions given by the Atlas military and evacuate through the east entrance!"

The masses were fleeing, running for the entrance and trampling over each other in the process. Undoubtably, many died in the panic. But the anger, pain and despair they felt in their final moments would maybe, just maybe, save the lives of many others. Summer jumped down into the smoke below. Raven needed all the help she could get. But as she was falling, a bright light shone through the clouds of smoke.

They had failed.

* * *

Yang had a lot of difficulty getting back up. Her left arm hurt badly. It was probably broken.

Once she was back on her feet, she immediately started to limp towards the hole she had blasted through the wall. „Help mother!" Those words went through her head, over and over again, even though she could barely stand, let alone fight. In the slowly thinning smoke, she could see two figures. One of them was holding the other by their neck, who struggled to free themselves.

Yang: „MOM!"

CRACK! The neck of the silhouette snapped and its lifeless body fell to the ground.

Yang: „NOOOOOOO!"

She fell on her knees, crying tears of grief. But a familiar voice snapped her out of it.

Raven: „Yang!"

She looked up. Her mother was standing before her, alive and well. Her eyes were glowing like she had never seen before and a few drops of blood had sprinkled on her face.

Raven: „Brother is dead. ...Sorry..."

Yang was shocked, but relieved at the same time.

Yang: „What are we gonna do now?"

Raven: „You go evacuate with the civilians, I'll try to fight Ruby."

Yang: „Wait, I can help!"

Raven: „NO!. You're in no condition to fight! Besides, a normal human would get obliterated instantly!"

Yang: „But what about you!? You had trouble with Qrow just now! How are you gonna stand a chance against a God!?"

Raven: „Can't you hear them?"

Yang listened closely. Screams of panic, fear, pain and agony could be heard in the distance.

Yang: „What?"

Raven: „This is the reason we have a force backing us up; It is unfortunate, but my powers are fueled by the negative emotions of humans and faunus. I was able to beat Qrow only because many lives just met a painful end in this place."

Yang didn't say anything. She had half expected it, really...

Raven: „I have to go now. Promise me... you'll make it out of here alive."

Yang nodded, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

She got up and started limping down the hallway. She was truly in a lucky spot: Only one turn left and then it was a straight walk to the exit.

Raven turned around to face the center of the arena. The smoke was gone, and a little girl wearing a white hood was levitating in front of the now pale gray crystal, her eyes glowing a light blue light.

Raven: „Welp, it seems like this will be our battlefield."

She pulled out her blade and started running towards Ruby.

Raven: „Please forgive me, Tai!"

Wings of red light formed on her back as she leapt towards her.

* * *

Summer had to get out of here! There was nothing she could do anymore to help either Raven, nor her daughter. She cried as she ran through the hallways, pushing aside any people unlucky enough to be standing in her way. Dead bodies were lining the walls, and from somewhere behind her, gunshots could be heard. At least the robots were doing their job... „Get to the airship!" That was all she could think about now. It was at the last turn before reaching the south entrance that she met Yang.

Cinder: „Yang!"

Yang: „Summer! We have to get out of here!"

Cinder: „I know... You are hurt?"

Yang: „Yeah, kinda got knocked through a wall."

Cinder: „Come, I'll help you."

She lent Yang her shoulder. The two continued to run towards the entrance. Just before they reached it, the ground began to shake.

Cinder: „Oh no, don't tell me..."

* * *

The two women were locked in battle high above the arena. Raven had called upon Gaeus' Blade to compensate for her relative lack of strength, while Ruby had altered Crescent Rose to conduct her new power.

Ruby: „Begone, Queen of Grimm! I shall purge you from this world and exact justice for all the lives you took!"

She shot a dust round at Raven, but she dodged.

Raven: „Oh really? You're trying to harm me with simple bullets? Fucking bullets? Don't make me laugh! Your mother would be ashamed of you!"

Ruby: „She'll watch from heaven as I take you down!"

The arena started shaking.

Raven: „Damn, so that crystal really was what kept this thing afloat..."

That one moment of distraction almost cost her her life, as Ruby charged at her with Crescent Rose.

Ruby: „DIE!"

Raven was just barely able to get away by diving down towards the ground. She was lucky that Ruby hadn't quite adapted to the Guardian's power yet. She swung Gaeus' Blade at her, slightly scratching at her cheek.

Ruby: „Tsk!"

She backed off, trying to re-evaluate the situation and plan her next move. Raven took the opportunity to try and strike her down. But her blow was deflected, and Crescent Rose buried itself in her shoulder.

Raven: „Damn! That's the place that always hurts the most!"

Ruby: „Don't worry, it won't hurt for long..."

* * *

Yang and Summer were stumbling out on the outside of the arena. The air field was far away, but that wasn't their destination, anyway. Neo and Roman were supposed to be waiting for them in a VTOL right outside the south entrance. It was hard to walk, as the entire structure was falling towards the surface of Remnant. They didn't have much time. They went to the edge of the platform as fast as they could and, to their relief, a VTOL was indeed hovering close by.

Cinder: „Politan! Torchwick! We're here!"

Roman: „Alright, hop on i... Wait a sec, aren't you that blonde chick who's with Red!?"

Cinder: „Neo, did you forget to explain!? Whatever, hurry up and let us in!"

Roman: „Right! Here we go!"

The side of the VTOL opened up to Neo stading there, ready to gab their hands if need be.

Cinder: „Okay... One, two, THREE!"

Summer jumped over the gap between the platform and the VTOL, safely landing inside.

Cinder: „C'mon, Yang! Hurry!"

Yang hesitated. She wasn't in good shape, and there were several kilometers between them and the ground. But there really was no way around it, was there?

Yang: „Here goes nothing!"

She ran towards the edge at max speed, even though her legs hurt. But as she was about to jump, the ground shook again. She wouldn't make it.

Neo: „Oh no, you don't!"

Neo tried to save her, but only managed to grasp the tips of her fingers, leaving Yang to tumble down towards the earth below...

* * *

Blood spew from Raven's mouth. She was careless! She thought that the inexperienced Ruby could not match her skill, but underestimated her strength. Two blows and it was over. Crescent Rose had pierced her chest and torn apart her lungs. She fell towards the ground, landing with a quiet thud.

Ruby came down and put the tip of her scythe to her neck.

Ruby: „This is it... I have slain you without dying myself. Now, peace will reign on Remnant. But, I have one question before you die... why do I have this feeling that I know you?"

Raven caughed.

Raven: „...Tai really was blessed, wasn't he?"

Ruby: „What are you talking about?"

Raven: „Sorry, maybe a bit too subtle... You and I have never met before, at least not in this life. But You have seen my face almost every day. Don't you remember?"

Ruby: „Yang... You're Yang's mother, aren't you?"

Raven: „Jackpot."

She caughed up more blood.

Raven: „Listen, I have one last request... Please, whatever you do, don't let anyone or anything control you... Not the Senate... And not the one whose power you have stolen..."

Ruby: „Why would I listen to someone as wicked as you?"

Raven laughed.

Ruby: „What's so funny!?"

Raven: „Typical... Even now... you still sound like a child..."

Her eyes separated from Ruby's and wandered to the sky, redened by the setting sun.

Raven: „I'll be going on ahead, Tai... I hope we can love each other once again, in another life..."

The light faded from her red eyes. It was over. The Queen of Grimm was slain.

...But why did it feel like...

...something, deep down inside Ruby's heart...

...just died...?

* * *

 **Ambiguous ending... until tomorrow... or definitely some time next week. This is gonna go on, but I'm starting to feel pressured to post a chapter every day, so I'm changing that to „at least twice a week". It will probably continue just as before, but don't come yelling at me if I don't post for a day or two. ESPECIALLY on Christmas.**

 **Well, Shit just hit the fan real good here. I'm sure you're very curious how this is gonna continue, but I'm not spoiling anything XD**


	12. Chapter 11: Dream

**YES! It begins! Peace has died! War has begun! Aren't you excited!?**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Dream**

Yang was falling... falling... falling... through an endless void. Was she dead? The last thing she remembered was the forest, getting closer and closer at an increasingly quick pace. So she really was dead, wasn't she? Welp, it was a good ride while it lasted. Better get moving on to the next...

?: „Daughter of man..."

A voice echoed through the darkness.

?: „Daughter of man, hear my call!"

Yang tried to figure out where the voice was coming from, but before she could, she hit the ground. The landing was surprisingly painless. A light began to flicker, and started to illuminate a circular patch of concrete floor. A few meters away from Yang stood a young man in a black suit with a red tie. His long, black hair fell sideways over his right eye.

?: „Ah, good. You're here. Was kinda worried for a second there that you might have died, too."

Yang: „Wait a second: First off, who on Remnant are you? Secondly: 'too'?"

?: „Ah, right! You don't know me yet. I was actually with you since your birth, you know... but never REALLY there. You've used my power an awful lot, though..."

Yang: „Don't talk bullshit, I want answers!"

?: „Okay, okay! Geez! ...My name is Gaeus, pleased to meet you."

Yang: „Wait, wasn't that...?"

Gaeus: „That's right, the essence of chaos that resides within the soul of the 'Queen of Grimm', or however you call her nowadays."

Yang: „Why are you here?"

For a moment, he remained silent. Then, he answered, with deep regret in his voice.

Gaeus: „I'm sorry that I'm the one to tell you... but your mother failed. She died, as expected,... but the Guardian of Order still lives."

Yang: „You mean..."

Tears started rolling down her cheeks, gradually turning into something akin to a waterfall.

Yang: „This is too much! After all these years... and then, only for a month or so..."

Gaeus approached her and put his arms around her.

Gaeus: „I know how you feel. After all, in all these cycles, I have seen all the horrors and pain in the world. Cry! Cry as much as you want! ...But don't forget, life goes on, whether you like it to... or not."

Yang: „But... but what are we gonna do!? Mom is dead, and the world out of balance! Everyone will die!"

Gaeus: „No, not this time!"

Yang looked into his crimson eyes.

Gaeus: „This time, the world has you."

Yang „...What?"

Gaeus: „You are something that should not exist: a direct descendant of the Maiden of Chaos... oh, sorry, the Queen of Grimm. Your existence changes everything! With you, we still have a chance!"

Yang: „But... but how?"

From around the circle they were standing in, several dozen figures approached them. They all had the same features: All were comparatively young women with black hair and crimson eyes. Two of them, Yang recognized: One was ...her mother, the other the girl from the vision she once showed her. Gaeus slowly turned around, as if adressing the entire circle.

Gaeus: „Since times that have long faded from the pages of history, this woman and all her incarnations have fought to preserve the balance in the world. Some succeeded. Some failed. But they all strove towards a free future. And for that, they were ready to sacrifice the lives of many, and in the end, their own."

He turned back to look Yang in the eyes.

Gaeus: „But now, all of this might change... Tell me, Yang... Do you still wish to protect your world? To help it extend its life, if only for a short moment?"

Yang: „...Yes. I think... that's what mom... and Ruby... would have wanted."

She wiped the tears off her face.

Yang: „So tell me... How can I gain the power I need?"

Gaeus laughed.

Gaeus: „What, you haven't figured it out by now? Of course, you will need to take on your mother's burden. Break her curse! Take it upon yourself to change your fate! And hers! PIERCE THE SKY!"

Yang „...Escape your fate!"

In a flash, all the other women, as well as Gaeus disappeared. Yang was now enveloped by a warm, red light. From somewhere far away, she could hear Gaeus' voice.

Gaeus: „The weight of the world now lies upon your shoulders. From now, until another kind spirit like yourself crosses our paths, we will be fighting together. Now, wake up! The world out there needs us! Do not let it wait much longer!"

The world around her gradually filled with white, until it was just as empty as in the beginning. And then, she woke up.

* * *

?: „Holy! You're awake! I thought you might be comatose or something and I would have to drive you to the city."

Yang opened her eyes to find an old man staring at her.

Old man: „UWAAAAH! DEMON!"

Yang: „Wh- WHAT'S GOING ON!?"

The man jumped away from the bed she was lying in, holding his hands out in front of his face in defense.

Old man: „Please, red eyed demon! Leave this place! I am but a mere retired lumberjack trying to live in peace!"

Yang: „Yeah, yeah, calm down! I'm not here to hurt you!"

Old man: „...Are you telling the truth? Or is this just a trick so you can eat me!?"

Yang: „Okay, uhm, sorry. I'll leave... but before, I have a question: Which direction is Vale again?"

The man pointed out of the window. Down the hillside, in the distance, the lights of a city shone brightly in the darkness of the night.

Yang: „Okay, Thanks, I guess!"

She got up and quickly checked her belongings. Everything was there. She left the hut and started her long march through the wilderness, towards the city. On her way, she encountered many creatures of Grimm, but none of them attacked. Why would they, actually? After all, Yang WAS their Queen now...

* * *

 **So, Yang has become the new Queen of Grimm. How do you think the story will continue? I'd be seriously surprised if anyone guessed correctly right now.**


	13. Chapter 12: Protecting the People

**Sorry there was no new chapter yesterday. I had to work on something else and it took quite a long time (~3 hours). I just didn't have enough energy left afterwards. Anyway, let us continue with our epic tale of Yang, Queen of Grimm.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Protecting the People**

The first red of dawn could be seen in the distance by the time Yang arrived in Vale. The streets lay abandoned, everyone was still asleep. Or at least, that's what she assumed. Some children were excitedly running towards one of the many small market places that were once the centers of villages. A lot of people had gathered there. Curious as to why, Yang decided to take a look.

Two men were standing in the center of the market place, another one was kneeling down between them. His hands were cuffed and he looked like he had taken a severe beating. The crowd was kept under control by a group of Atlesian Knights, blocking the path to the men.

The bell of the nearby temple chimed and the man to the right began to speak.

?: „Grey Barls, you have been convicted of treason against the peace and prosperity of Remnant! The punishment is death! The time for your execution has arrived. Do you have anything left to say before the sentence is carried out?"

The man in the middle didn't say anything. He just kneeled there, looking at those standing nearby, watching for their own amusement, with deep hatred.

?: „Very well. Then, let there be justice!"

The man to the left took a rather large axe out of a basket next to him. He slowly raised it over his head and in one swift blow, Grey Barls' neck was severed and his head rolling towards the line of Atlesian Knights. As his blood dyed the soil red, the right man spoke again.

?: „Let this be an example to all those who seek to oppose the righteous order of the Senate! IN ORDINEM!"

The crowd: „IN ORDINEM!"

Two Atlesian Knights stepped in to remove the body while the crowd dispersed. Yang felt sick in her stomach. Just what on Remnant was going on!? She couldn't have been unconscious for THAT long, so what happened? She looked up to the tower on the horizon. Beacon Academy. Maybe she could get some answers there? ...On second thought, the fact that she had betrayed them was probably common knowledge to anyone on campus at this point. So, what should she do? She needed a starting point.

And as if some higher being had been reading her mind, a young woman approached her.

Woman: „Come, follow me. I want to talk."

Yang was confused, but decided to go with her, mostly out of curiosity. They went down a small alleyway, out of sight for anyone but each other.

Woman: „About time you showed up again. We were almost worried you might have died from that fall."

Yang: „Sorry, but do I know you?"

The woman laughed.

Woman: „What, you don't remember? Who do you know that has the ability to change her appearance at will?"

Yang: „...Summer?"

Summer: „We have a winner!"

Yang: „What happened? I don't remember the military publicly executing citizens in such a barbaric fashion."

Summer: „How long do you think you were gone?"

Yang: „Dunno... Maybe half a day or so?"

Summer: „Yeah, more like two weeks."

Yang: „TWO WEEKS!?"

Summer: „Yeah. And as you see, things haven't exactly... gotten better in that time. First, martial law was declared in Vale as a reaction to our little act of terrorism at the Vytal Festival. That was followed by the 'establishment' of a global military council called 'Senate of peace and prosperity'. Really, it was nothing more than the total, ouvert takeover of the council we were fighting: The Senate of Eternal Order."

Yang: „And the people just accept that?"

Summer: „Not everyone... but you have seen what happens to those who go against the Senate, haven't you?"

Yang shuddered at the thought of it.

Summer: „Anyway, I have to go now. I was only here on a short trip to get something to bite for the others. Not that it really matters anymore..."

Summer was about to walk away, but Yang grabbed her by the wrist.

Yang: „Look into my eyes... What do you see?"

Summer took a closer look at her face, and was stunned.

Summer: „Red eyes... No, that's impossible!"

Yang: „It's not. I'm proof of that."

Summer sunk into deep thought. Maybe, just maybe, they still had a chance.

Summer: „Alright, follow me. I'll take you to our hideout."

* * *

This was kinda ridiculous. Yang had barely been out of the woods for a few hours, and already she was walking between long rows of trees again.

Summer: „It's gonna take a while. Might as well tell you what's been going on around Beacon... and with Ruby..."

Yang noticed deep sorrow in her voice. No, it had been this way all the time. Now was just the first time she really thought about it.

Summer: „Ruby has been advanced to third year and will graduate by the end of the semester. She has other responsibilities now, and her power is far beyond that of even the most skilled Huntsmen or Huntresses. Weiss, as her partner, has been pushed ahead along with her. And you, as well as your partner Blake Belladonna, have been expelled."

Yang: „Wait, Blake, too?"

Summer: „They suspected she was involved in what we did and issued an arrest order against her. She got away, but no one knows where she is right now. Let's just hope the military doesn't find her or... you know..."

Yang: „If they do, we're gonna save her!"

Summer: „NO! Think about it. This is about more than just you and your friend. This is about the fate of our world. I know you, Yang. You sometimes tend to act rashly or on a whim, but we can't afford to make any mistakes right now. I hope you understand..."

Yang: „...Yeah. Sorry. But that won't stop me when it comes down to it. I'm just letting you know."

Summer sighed.

Summer: „Why am I even trying. You're Yang Xiao Long, after all."

They laughed,

Yang: „Man, we're really fucked up, laughing at a time like this."

Summer: „It's not just us. The entire world is fucked up. Welcome to adulthood, sweetie!"

Yang: „Okay, once we get to your hideout, we're gettin' wasted!"

Summer: „Just like her mother... Gin or Vodka?"

Yang: „BOTH!"

They walked on and on, for hours, talking and joking all the while. Ironic, really. Sometimes, to get back up, you first have to hit rock bottom.

* * *

Three men sat around a table. Before them were plates filled to the brim with delicacies from all around Remnant. But none of them ate. They were all just nervously waiting for one of the others to take the first bite. Reluctantly, after what seemed like an eternity, one of them finally took a lobster leg and bit off a tiny bit. He chewed, and swallowed. At first, nothing happened, but after a few seconds, he slumped over, his face landing in a bowl of soup. He was dead. The other ones got scared, and tried to get out, but at the door, a group of Atlesian Knights were waiting. They opened fire and tore them to shreds. All the while, Senator Nero watched from the security room. Excellent! Absolutely marvelous! Three more of his opponents were gone. Now, he was just one step away from becoming consul, and when that day came...

* * *

 **Welcome to Remnant-wide Fascism! I'm just gonna warn you in advance, we're gonna have another time jump. A big one this time. These last two chapters weren't even in my original plans after chapter 10, but kinda got shoved in at the last second to lessen the amount of confusion those original plans would have caused.**


	14. Chapter 13: Rise of Chaos

**Merry Christmas! We Germans celebrate on the 24th, so you're getting an extra present today :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Rise of Chaos**

Flagship of the Senatorial Fleet, 274 kilometers off the coast of Vacuo.

It was late at night and most of the crew was asleep. Just a few robot guards were active, and only just because of their guest: Senator Brutus, former co-consul and chief of the armed forces. No one expected an attack, but suddenly and brutally, they struck. From below the waves, about one dozen of them scaled the sides of the ship and boarded. Clad in black, their faces covered by masks resembling the creatures of Grimm. They were led by a woman with long, flowing black hair. The guards tried to shoot them, but the leader made short work of them with her dual blades in a matter of seconds. By then, most of the crew was awake and in panic. Never before had something like this occured. One after another, they were captured and locked up in the cargo bay. Senator Brutus, however, was brought to the captain's quarters.

Brutus: „What is this madness!? I demand you untie me or face severe punishment!"

?: „How typical of the Senate's dogs... You think that your orders still have an impact right now, don't you?"

Brutus: „I will have your heads removed for this!"

She drew one of her blades from its sheath.

?: „I would be more worried about my own head if I were you..."

The Senator looked at her in disbelief.

Brutus: „Do you know what you are doing!? This is high treason against all of Remnant!"

?: „Treason, right. Like you give a shit about anyone but yourselves. No, what we're doing is bringing justice down on tyrants like you!"

Brutus: „P-please, rethink this! Don't kill me!"

?: „Don't worry, we're not here to kill you... Where is the Guardian?"

Brutus: „I-I can't tell you! I-I don't even know where she is myself! Believe me!"

She grabbed him and started to strangle him.

?: „Then who knows!?"

Brutus: „Please... please stop... Nero... Consul Nero..."

She let go.

?: „Thank you!"

Immediately, her blade slit his throat, causing blood to spray forth. Of course they weren't gonna let him live, no matter the answer. It would just have caused more problems down the line. One of her accomplices, a man slightly older than her, came in.

?: „What should we do with the crew, Blake?"

Blake: „Nothing. Most of them were drafted. Just set the ship on course for the next harbor, the rest will sort itself out."

?: „Got it."

Blake: „And Adam: don't forget to properly arrange our little 'present'."

She cut off the dead Senator's head and gave it to him.

Blake: „They shall know that the war has begun..."

* * *

The small submarine made its way through subnautical cliffs, until it reached a small opening in the rocks. It went through and, a few minutes later, it surfaced in a large cavern below the desert sands of Vacuo. A huge sandship was anchored near the wall, with a sand filled tunnel just in front.

Blake climbed out of the hatch and headed towards the small town of tents that had been set up. She took off her mask to reveal her face, the empty socket once occupied by her right eye covered with an eyepatch. A grey haired man greeted her in front of the camp.

?: „How'd it go?"

Blake: „Oh, just as planned. Can you tell me where Yang is, Mercury?"

Mercury: „The Sandshark just came back a few minutes before you. She's probably still on the bridge."

Blake: „Thanks."

She passed by the tents. Some were filled with weapons, others were used as barracks. Really, they had a small warlord state down here. But war was what they were here for. For the sake of the future...

Yang sat in the command chair, chugging down a glass of Mistral Vodka. Blake came in from behind.

Blake: „Still not over that whole Weiss thing?"

Yang: „Why? This heavenly nectar demands no excuse to be enjoyed."

Blake: „Okay, Let's... just forget about your alcohol problems and get down to business: My mission was... moderately successful. We managed to capture the Senator and question him, but he didn't know where Ruby is. Instead, we now know our next target: Consul Nero."

Yang: „WOAH! Isn't that a bit of a high goal for the very start of our campaign?"

Blake: „Maybe, but he's the only lead we got right now."

Yang sighed.

Yang: „Call in Summer. We need to discuss our next move."

From the communications panel sounded a small „Okay".

It took a few minutes for the short, black hooded woman to arrive.

Summer: „You called?"

Yang: „Do you have any connections that could get us close to a consul?"

Summer thought about it for a moment, and answered:

Summer: „Sadly, no. I would need some time to work on it, as well as some administrative chaos to infiltrate the Senate."

Yang: „No problem, we can provide that."

She looked over to her feline friend.

Yang: „Blake, you take Adam and Sun with you,blow up the bureau of tariffs in Mistral and put a dent in their pockets. I'll take Neo and the gang on a little ride to get the desert tribes on our side. They're pretty pissed already over the rationing of water by the Senate."

She turned back to Summer.

Yang: „You, Mercury and Emerald try to find a suitable 'Senator' for us. And this time, be more careful who you work with!"

Summer: „Got it."

Yang: „Okay then, I think we should take a break for now. We've all worked hard today. Who's up for a round of Alley Battler?"

Blake raised her hand and Summer an eyebrow.

* * *

The Senate sat assembled. The death of Senator Brutus had caused a major uproar from the citizens of Vacuo. If they didn't have the media under control, things might have gotten even uglier. After all, the Senate was supposed to be untouchable. If word spread of such an assassination, all hell would break loose in the streets. Consul Nero stepped onto the podium and began to speak.

Nero: „Silence!"

The heated debates all over the hall died down.

Nero: „My fellow Senators, we have assembled today because of an emergency: The death of Senator Brutus. Let me start by saying I know that a lot of those present here today may have had their... differences with him in the past, but do not worry: There has been no act of treason amongst ourselves. No, this has been an act of war!"

The Senators started to argue again. They were like a bunch of little schoolgirls: easily stirred up by the tiniest of news. But also easy to manipulate...

Nero: „Keep calm! We do know our enemy. For many years, they have remained hidden, out of our sight. But now, they have returned to once again terrorize Remnant: The Followers of Grimm!"

?: „But their Queen is dead! This is impossible!"

Nero: „Do not speak without permission! But indeed, that should have been their downfall, four years ago. Nevertheless, they are still hiding out there. Somewhere. Ready to strike. Therefore, I propose to send the Guardian! She shall crush them like the worms they are!"

The Senators cheered. The Guardian was their champion, their idol. This seemed like a perfect show of power. But what none of them realized was that he had other plans...

* * *

 **You're probably wondering what Nero is up to. I won't tell XD**

 **Anyway thanks for reading once again. I know my perfect „one chapter per day"-routine has been broken, but c'mon, it's Christmas. I simply don't have that much time to write right now.**

 **And if you're thirsting for some more detailed action, it's coming up next chapter. After all, I don't have to worry about the setups for the next few as I've basically outlined them already.**


	15. Chapter 14: People of the Sand

**Every two days seems to be becoming the new norm... Anyways, a lot will be happening in these next few chapters, just as explained by Yang last time. Enjoy :) And be ready to have some unpleasent pictures burned into your head :) (Rated M for a reason)**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: People of the Sand**

The heat was unbearable. Jaune didn't know how Yang dealt with that in full clothing. The entire crew was in their underwear, the air conditioners in full power mode. It was remarkable that anything could survive out here in the desert, let alone people.

Yang: „Okay, slow down."

Jaune: „Roger, captain!"

He pulled down the lever that regulated the ship's speed all the way, causing it to get slower and, ultimately, stop. Yang got up from her command chair.

Yang: „All right. Go change, everyone. We want them to join our cause, not laugh at us. That goes ESPECIALLY for you, Braun!"

The naked man stood up from his chair, causing Neo and Pyrrha to cover their eyes.

Braun: „What's wrong? Would you not be able to withstand my masculinity anymore?"

Yang: „Yeah... no. Just... fuck it, stay here."

Yang looked away.

Yang: „Roman, Neo, Tuk-Wa... please, hurry."

* * *

The four others had left. Jaune and Pyrrha were now stuck with Braun, slowly trying to retreat to the other end of the bridge. That bastard! Their one chance to be alone together in months, and then this! If it hadn't been for this stupid war, they would probably be married right now, quietly retreating into the lives of teachers for a while. But no, „someone", for whatever reason, had a grudge against them and forced them to the underground. Really, they were glad Yang had picked them up. Otherwise, who knows what might have happened?

Pyrrha: „That guy is a pain in the ass, isn't he?"

Jaune: „I know. Screw it, let's tie him up and lock him in the storage room!"

Pyrrha sighed.

Pyrrha: „You know we can't do that, Jaune. Yang would be pissed when she found out. And you know what happened last time..."

Jaune: „Don't remind me. I still have nightmares..."

Braun walked up to them, his... thing... dangling back and forth.

Braun: „Now, buddies, do you have suggestions as to what to do while we wait?"

Jaune and Pyrrha looked at each other in desperation.

* * *

The scorching sun was going to kill her. Neo was sweating from every pore on her body. Her parasol was completely useless when it came to actually blocking the sun. In front of her was Yang. The blonde was really amazing, completely unfazed by anything that happened around her. It was almost uncanny, really. Back three years ago for example, when Blake lost her eye, she didn't even flinch. She didn't show any signs of emotion other than joy, a wide grin almost always visible on her face. Was she... actually enjoying this?

Not far from them, the nomads had set up camp. Their tents were surprisingly big, bigger than their own, down in the cave. It was easy to see why, though: A massive herd of Vacuoan sand wyverns was bathing in the water of the nearby oasis, even though that was illegal by the Senate's decree.

An old, tired looking man came towards them.

Elder: „What do you want? If you're from the Senate, tell your bosses they can shove their water preservation bullshit up their-"

Yang: „No, honorable Chief Goleko. We are here because you and me have common interests..."

Amazing! As always, she was well informed about everything.

Goleko: „Your humility surprises me. ...Fine, follow me. I will hear what you have to say, and then decide about whether these 'interests' are indeed mutual."

The man turned back towards his village.

Goleko: „EVERYONE! WAKE UP! WE HAVE A COUNCIL MEETING!"

Out of the tents, a lot of very sleepy, strongly tanned people emerged.

?: „Wha- Did Kolmec's herd break something again?"

Goleko: „No! We have visitors!"

?: „Ah, that's what's up... goodnight."

Except for a few old men, everybody went inside again.

Goleko: „The young'uns nowadays..."

The old men gathered up in the center of the camp.

Goleko: „The clan council is assembled. We, the representatives of the Red Claw Clan, shall now judge your intentions. Now, tell us: What is it you ask of us?"

He seemed like a totally different person now, with a commanding voice that was worthy of even Neo's respect.

Yang: „Elders of the Red Claw! I see the struggle of your people! For hundreds of years, they have lived as their forefathers, herding the wyverns in peace and harmony. But now, others seek authority over you! They are trying to take away from you your land, your honor and your freedom! These people, the Senate of Eternal Order, are your enemy! But they are ours, too! I propose an alliance! My cause is to bring them down and rid all Remnant of their tyranny! Please, hear my plea!"

The elders seemed intrigued. They retreated into the biggest tent for a few minutes, before Goleko came back to them and told them:

Goleko: „We have decided to leave our decision up to a trial of conviction: If you are pure of heart and your words honest, you shall venture out into the Valley of Biting Winds and return on the back of a black wyvern."

Yang: „I accept. Which direction do I need to go?"

He pointed towards a range of mountains to the east.

Goleko: „Beyond these cliffs lies the valley. You have three days to complete the trial. ..And no, you cannot use your sandship."

Yang: „Okay. Seems easy enough to me."

She turned around.

Yang: „You three: go back to the Sandshark. I don't really need you for this."

Roman: „Juuuuust great. Thanks for making us endure this torturous heat for nothing!"

Neo: „Now, now, baby Roman. Everything's gonna be fine. Shhhhhh..."

Roman: „Don't you speak to me like I'm a toddler!"

They got into an argument.

Tuk-Wa: „I'll take these two. You go on ahead."

Yang: „Haha... Thanks."

And so, Yang went out into the desert on her own...

* * *

As Neo, Roman and Tuk-wa, got back onto the ship, they heard loud banging sounds from the storage room. Had they been robbed? Who in the world would do that out here? The key was still inside its hole, so Roman quickly unlocked it. Brown immediately flew towards them. He had been tied up and gagged.

Tuk-Wa: „What is going on here!?"

Suddenly, Neo screamed. She had just gone back to the bridge and had been greeted by Jaune and Pyrrha lying on the floor and doing...

Neo: „W-what are you doing!?"

They turned bright red.

Jaune: „Uhm, hehe... Hi guys?"

Roman came in.

Roman: „What the fuck is-"

He saw them.

Roman: „Neo, take your clothes off. We're joining them."

Neo: „WAIT WUT!?"

She turned just as red as the two lovebirds on the floor.

* * *

Blake's submarine emerged not far from Mirlium, a small rest stop on the Mistral Trade Route. They would have to find a place to rent cars. Why did the Senate have to build their institutions so far away from the coast? To piss them off?

They eventually found a shady looking man that sold them a beat up old bus. And so, they began the long road trip across the steppes of southern Mistral...

* * *

 **By the way, I'm not making some kind of crazy mistake here: The Kingdoms have expanded to cover all of Remnant as the creatures of Grimm have been pushed back. And yeah, Arkos is a thing here. Really, I see it as basically canon, even in the main series.**


	16. Chapter 15: Twin Dragons

**I want to thank all of my readers, from Aruba to the Philippines, for supporting this fic so far. To give you a little bit of an insight, when I started this, I was in a mild state of depression due to a failed Greenlight campaign me and a few friends went through (most of it was my fault). The fact that so many find entertainment in my work, however, already got me out of that hole :) I will try to put more effort into these again, as I feel like I rushed the last few chapters out of the door to have SOMETHING for the day. I also received criticism for the script style I use, also something stemming from that initial drive to update frequently. It makes the chapters look longer than they really are. With these things in mind, I hope the next chapters will be a great improvement over the ones that came before :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Twin Dragons**

The stars shone brightly in the endless sky. It was the first night in a long time Yang got to see them again in the vast, open emptiness above. Four years... for four years, she had been hiding. Running from those who were once her friends.

Behind her were at least ten kilometers of desert, a sea of sand stretching far away towards the horizon. It was surprisingly cold out here at night, almost as cold as the winters of Patch. But that was ok. She had gone through much more. Countless times, in countless worlds before...

She walked past a lonely tree, desperately clinging to the side of the mountain, waiting for the odd raincloud that got stuck here to breathe new life into it. How did it get here? The lifeless void around them was too vast for any seeds to cross, even in the raging winds of autumn. Her answer lay on the other side: The Valley of Biting Winds, as the tribes called it, was a fertile, wet land with seasonal rainfall as the clouds accumulated in the bowl formed by the surrounding mountains. Its name came from the strong winds that blew all year, making it hard to move north, but easy to move south. One would thinkthis place to be a garden of plenty, a refuge for the people of the sand. But that was not the case. No, this land was home to the most vicious creatures imaginable. Poisonous snakes, giant spiders, and of course, the black wyverns. But it wasn't like she didn't have any backup with her...

Creatures of Grimm, Beowolves, Ursas and even some mid-sized Nevermore called this valley their home. Most of them were old and wise; They avoided the blades and guns of humans, instead choosing to calmly feed on the negative emotions of the nomads passing by in regular intervals. It wasn't plenty, but it was enough. If she ever got into a tight spot, she would just have to call them.

The descent back down from the mountain was difficult. The wind blew relentlessly, turning the narrow path down into a horrible death trap. It wasn't like Yang would get seriously injured if she fell down here, but it would be painful nonetheless. She stuck to the wall, slowly inching her way forward, for hours.

In the valley, grasslands spread out from the banks of a small river, with small groups of trees – likely distant cousins from the one outside – scattered about. It wasn't hard to find the Black Wyverns in the open field. To actually tame one, however, was almost impossible. Known as the most ferocious beasts in all of Remnant - aside from the Grimm, of course – they were nothing like their pale yellowish brethren from the desert. Almost no man or woman could claim to have tamed one. But that wasn't going to stop Yang. No, tomorrow noon, she would arrive at the camp on a black mount, only one day into her time limit.

Under the light of the full moon, the Black Wyverns seemed only like pale silhouettes, contrasting against the reflections on the river's surface. Even they needed to sleep, the weakness all life posessed. Bound by the cycle of day and night. This was her chance to separate one from the pack, preferably a young one. A perfect specimen lay unprotected on the outside of the group. She carefully approached out of a small forest, trying not to wake them up. But in the dark, she overlooked an even smaller Wyvern. She stumbled, waking the beast. It cried out in pain and surprise, shaking awake the entire pack.

The young Wyvern pounced on Yang, trying to sink its claws into her flesh, but was greeted with a punch and a bullet that completely demolished its lower jaw. Another, bigger one tried to bite her from behind, but she jumped over and on its back. It struggled to throw her off, but she held on, eventually knocking it out with a hit on the head. As soon as that one collapsed, a third Wyvern pinned her down with its claws and tried to rip her apart, but she, with all the might she had, got up and threw the 5 meter beast off.

The fight continued until she had bested around one quarter of the pack. After that, they stopped attacking. They slowly backed off, trying to get away from that blonde monster. Yang felt great. It had been a long time since she had had such a good fight. She was even kind of sad it was over so soon. Those thoughts made her careless, though. The intelligent Wyverns knew she underestimated them, and had formed a circle so she couldn't escape. Through a gap in this wall of flesh – which was closed immediately after – the biggest Wyvern of them all came into this strange arena. It was probably the alpha. It looked strong and would clearly be a challenge. Yang got excited. That was going to be the one she would make her own!

They circled around each other, each looking for an opening in the other's defense. There! The Wyvern slightly stubled. Yang charged, but her opponent struck her left arm, completely throwing her off. The alpha tried to bite her leg, but she reacted quickly, jumped and landed on its head. She took the chance to take seat on its back. The beast was furious over this, violently shaking, even smashing into its brethren in its attempts to get rid of the human sitting on its back. Yang held on, no matter how bumpy the ride got. In what could be considered an act of desperation, the Wyvern unfolded its wings and took flight.

Yang tried her best to steer the Wyvern. It was headed towards the mountains, probably in an attempt to smash her against the rocks. There was no way she would let that happen. The first peak approached, but Yang was able to throw the Wyvern off course hard enough so that they missed it. But now they were headed for a huge wall of solid stone. There was no way they would dodge that. Yang changed the rounds of Ember Celica, putting in the mini-rockets Tuk-Wa had made for her, and fired three shots forward. Their explosions created a deep crater, but the wall was thick. She emptied the entire magazine. That was it! Through the smallest of openings, she could see the stars on the other side. She couldn't quite make out how wide it was, but it was her only chance. She steered the Wyvern as good as she could towards the hole, and hoped for the best.

The hole wasn't wide enough.

They broke the surrounding stone as they passed through. The Wyvern's left wing stopped flapping and they started to fall, dozens of meters down the mountainside. The landing was rough, and the Wyvern hit its head. Out cold. Great.

Yang looked around for a shelter. The wind's strength was most evident up here, near the mountain tops. Between the rocks, she found a small crevice. Using all the dried up bushes she could gather, she created a makeshift camp, complete with camp fire and all. She dragged the alpha over. Her new pet shouldn't freeze to death, after all. It's wing was contorted; It was probably broken. Searching through the pouch she had around her waist, she got out salve and bandages. Those were intended for human injuries, but it didn't hurt to try, did it?

With the first rays of the morning sun, the majestic Black Wyvern awoke. Trying to stretch its wings, it flinched from the pain that shot through the left one. Yang acted quickly. She ran to its side, trying to calm it. It still struggled for a few moments, before it noticed the bandage, as well as the rabbit Yang had caught for it. It calmed down and ate. After that, it rested. Now that it was day and she could see much better, Yang took the chance to examine it more closely. Its body was marked by the scars from many past fights for dominance. Most surprisingly, however, the beast turned out to be a female.

Yang decided on a name for her: Hei. Hei Long.

As the sun started to set, Hei woke again. Yang had to try it: She approached her, calmly, slowly. She didn't want to scare her off. The Wyvern didn't resist this time. Maybe she was aware of what Yang had done for her? The Black Wyverns were rather intelligent, after all.

Taking seat atop Hei, Yang motioned her to start moving. It took a while for them to agree on the signals they would use, but as the first stars could be seen, Yang was able to ride her.

And so, the two set out towards the camp of the Red Claw. Yang had done it in one and a half days. And she had found a friend that would come to stay with her to the very end...

* * *

Blake slowly woke up. They had been rotating the driver so the others could sleep. The only one awake besides her was Sun. In the distance, a tower of light could be seen: the Bureau of Tariffs. They had finally arrived...

* * *

 **I tried to do something else this time, as you've probably noticed. Tell me if you liked it, I will switch over to a style like this in the future if no one has issues with it. Of course, the following chapters will have dialogue. I just thought I'd stick with the „no dialogue" thing until the very end of the chapter after writing most of it without.**


	17. Chapter 16: Fallen Petals Part 1

**Happy new year! The last few days were an exception, I promise! Today's chapter will be written in the new format. Leave a review to tell me how you like it :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Fallen Petals Part 1**

The rusty bus creaked as it came to a halt in front of the Senatorial Bureau of Tariffs. Blake was astonished that it lasted through the whole journey. Sun looked to the back of the vehicle. „Get up, guys. We're there." Adam and Réné slowly opened their eyes. Outside the window, they could see a towering skyscraper. They got out of the car. After stretching his muscles for a moment, Adam asked: „Blake, could you explain the plan again?" She nodded. „Sun and I are going to disguise ourselves as personnel and head to the security room. Adam, Réné, you take the bomb and plant it under the table in the conference room on the twenty-eighth floor. Take the stairs, the elevators don't work when there's an alarm. Don't go until I give you the signal, okay?" The two nodded. Soon, Réné was going to get her revenge. Soon...

* * *

Two years ago, in the deep woods of northern Mistral...

In a wooden hut by the river, three faunus lived their lives. Réné Finn, Shark Finn and their newborn son, Whale Finn. After what the couple had seen, they had to go into hiding. The Senate could not let those who knew of their secret weapon live.

Eventually, the day they had been fearing came. Réné was away at the time, hunting in the surrounding mountains. When she returned, she found their home ablaze. Her husband and child had perished in the flames. Nothing remained but their burned bones. It was on this day that she swore vengeance for her loss. Wandering around the countryside, looking for every opportunity to cause the Senate trouble, she got the attention of Yang and her followers.

* * *

Yang and sun took the guard uniforms they had stolen out of the bus and changed. No matter how many robots the Senate had, there were always a few humans to make sure. And that was a weak point they were going to exploit. Blake glanced over to Sun. „Ready to go?" „Whenever you are."

The two entered the building while Réné and Adam waited outside. Despite how late it was, there were still dozens of people in the lobby alone. A young woman of small stature greeted them. „Ah, you must be the new guys for the night shift. If you've got any questions they didn't answer when they hired you, ask me." Blake quickly answered: „Thanks, but we know exactly what our job is."

„Well, good for you. Tell Jeff stop by up here before he goes home." „Right..." Blake and Sun got on the elevator and headed for the basement.

As they stepped out of the elevator, a loud splishing sounded through the dark hallway. A bearded man kneeled to the left, fumbling around on some pipes. „Oh, the new arrivals? Don't worry, this... problem will be fixed by tomorrow. Still somewhat of a shitty way to start a work day, isn't it?" Sun smiled. „Still better than that crappy place I worked at when I was thirteen." „Hah! Don't talk about shitty jobs with a plumber! But, really, you should probably go to the security room now. Jeff is probaly tired after that horrible 24 hour shift." „24 hours!?" The man laughed. „Well, the bureaucrats screwed up, so he was the only security guard available for the day. Anyway, go."

Inside the security room, a young man was sleeping in front of a holographic wall showing the feed from hundreds of cameras. Blake shook him. „Hey, wake up! Your shift's over!" The man woke up, completely confused. „Whatwherewho!?" Sun turned him around in his chair and punched him out cold. Blake was furious. „What was that for!?" „C'mon, I'm tired of this facade. We are where we need to be. That's all that matters." Blake sighed. „I'll send Réné and Adam the signal. You make sure to remote lock the head office and set off the alarm on the thirty-fourth floor." „Got it!"

* * *

Adam's scroll rang at almost the exact same time as the alarm started. They had to move quickly! Réné started to run towards the entrance while Adam grabbed the bomb from the bus. She would have to keep him safe, as one false step meant „Boom!". Scared personnel came rushing out towards them in droves, splitting in two streams as they saw the bloodthirsty wolf faunus coming their way. Smart of them, because unlike that weak kitty, Réné wasn't going to hold back for anyone. Once she reached the split-off point of the fleeing masses, the massacre began. Her claws tore their flesh asunder, one after another. Limbs flew left and right, her claws shining in the color of death, her face drenched in the blood of her victims. The frightened people backed off, begging for their lives. She was about to slaughter them as Adam stopped her. „Let them be, Réné. They are not what we came for." She looked down and saw the bomb in his hands. Right, they had to get going.

The stairs spiraled upwards, with no end in sight. Twenty-seven times whole way round until they reached their destination. There were no guards in here, just as planned. They had all been sent to deal with a non-existant threat higher up. The cameras didn't bother them, either, as they were firmly under the control of their accomplices. Soon enough, they arrived on the twenty-eighth floor. The hallway leading up to the conference room was dark and foreboding, fitting for the kind of place where conspiracies were born.

The mighty wooden doors swung open as Réné kicked them. Half the room was made of gold, down to the trash can. Paintings of important historical figures were hanging from the wall. The entire room was a giant show of wealth, wealth that none of these bastards deserved. „Ah, finally! You kept me waiting for a seriously long time here!" At the end of the large table in the center of the room, a young woman cloaked in white sat and munched on a chocolate chip cookie. Réné got into a defensive stance. The woman chuckled. „What? Is the wolf scared of the little girl now?"

* * *

 **Sorry for the pause. With new year and everything, there was a lot of family stuff. Most of my family lives a six hour drive from me. Needless to say, I didn't have much time to write. Even today, I only had around one and a half hours, so this one is split in two parts and slightly shorter.  
**


	18. Chapter 17: Fallen Petals Part 2

**Ah! Another episode out, more misunderstandings revealed! The Vytal Festival Arena was so close to Beacon... Oh well. It's not like I'd go back to change chapters 10 and 11 just for that minor detail.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Fallen Petals Part 2**

Blake's eyes were fixated on the window showing the camera footage from the hallway on the twenty-eigth floor. „What... was that?" In a sudden flash, something had crashed into the wall at incredible speed, creating a man-sized hole.

* * *

Réné caughed. „...Blood...?" That was a rather hard hit there. The little girl with the oversized farming tool packed some punch. She got up, shaking uncontrollably due to the massive pain in her chest. Something definitely got screwed up in there just now. Her opponent stood in the doorway of the conference room, smiling. „Oh, does it hurt? How does it feel like to have YOUR body ripped apart, wretched beast?" Réné spat out more blood. „Fuck you! ...Goddamn bitch!" The girl kept on smiling, changing the cartridge of her sniper rifle. „C'mon, it's for your own good! After all, don't you want to be 'purified'?" Réné jumped at her, but only managed to scratch her cheek as she flew by. „My, you still choose to struggle, sinner? Then, we're gonna have to do this the hard way!"

Adam was stunned. That girl... how could she possess such power? In an instant, she had practically teleported across the room and kicked Réné away. There was no way they could fight someone like this! Quickly, he crawled under the table. He removed the foliage covering the side of the bomb that had the glue on it and stuck it underneath. Timer: 5:00. Before that ran out, they had to get out of here.

With a giant swing and a discharge from the gun part of her weapon, the white-hooded girl started her attack on Réné. She barely dodged, a chair falling victim to the scythe's blade instead. Her following attempt to bury her claws in the girl's throat was met with a knee to the stomach. She fell to her knees, vomiting up a cocktail of semi-digested beef jerkey, acid and blood. Shit! She couldn't die now! Not yet... „I believe this is your limit. Your body is already incapable of healing itself, no matter how strong your aura may be." The girl raised her scythe. „Rest peacefully, until you are born anew..."

The world seemed to stop for a moment. It felt like... like she was flying... When time resumed, Réné watched as her headless body slumped over, twitching. Then, everything faded to nothingness...

* * *

Blake's scroll rang. It was Adam. „Run!" What was going on up there!? Blake jumped up and was about to go help him, when Sun grabbed her arm. „Let me go!" „No! The timer for the bomb is five minutes! You're never going to get up and down that quickly, let alone fight someone in between!" „But! ...But!" Tears welled up in her eye. „At this rate..." Sun pulled her close. „It's fine. We all went into this knowing what might happen. I'm sure Adam understands that, too. So we owe it to him to get out of here and continue this fight!" Blake wiped the tears from her eye. „You're right, sorry..."

The two of them ran, up the stairs, out of the building.

Adam looked over to the clock. Thirty seconds remaining. He wasn't gonna make it... At least, his death would be a quick one. That girl had already left, likely having forgotten about him. But... if they had known of their plans, no important people would be left inside by now.

They had failed. Adam and Réné had died in vain. Those were the thoughts of Blake as she stared back at the building behind them going up in flames. They had failed...

* * *

Summer stepped out onto the hallway. Seriously, that old man was a pain. He was once a rather unlucky shopkeeper, constantly thrown back to the start by unfortunate events. But now, he had money. He had power. And he was willing to help them. Not for free, of course, but that little „service" was nothing she hadn't done before. Tai would surely forgive her...

Mercury leaned on the wall down the hallway of the shabby hotel they were in. „Have you even thrown away your dignity now?" „I've done it before. The ends justify the means, Mercury. Of all people, shouldn't you understand?" He punched the wall next to her face. „Listen, you didn't have to do this! We could've done without that old perv! Do you have any Idea how something like this must feel for Yang!?" She put her hand on his cheek. „Oh Mercury... Yang doesn't need to know..." „Don't gimme that Bullshit! She has a right to know!" He started crying. „Mercury...?"

* * *

„Mommy, where is daddy?" Lydia Black was completely blindsighted by this question. Mercury was too young... too young to understand what had happened to his father. „Haven't I told you already? Your grandparents got sick and he has gone to care for them. He'll be back soon." „Okay..."

Life had been hard for this past month. Lydia never knew what her husband's job was... not until the very end: The day of his execution by the Atlas military. Now, what should she do? Their savings were meager and would soon run out...

Five years passed. Mercury had just turned nine when it happened. One night, he had a nightmare. He went over to his mother's room, wanting to crawl into bed with her. But, as he stepped onto the hallway, moans could be heard. „A-a monster!" he tought. He ran to the door to Lydia's bedroom. The scene he saw when he opened it burned itself into his mind for the rest of his life...

* * *

The VTOL was ready. Just how were the others doing? Summer sent a message to Yang and Blake respectively. „No problem!" wrote Yang. The message Blake sent, however, unnerved her. It read simply:

„We have failed"

* * *

 **Goodbye, good taste. May you rot in hell! Anyways, sorry that new chapters have become infrequent. I'm slightly sick right now, so you can hopefully understand that I'm not as enthousiastic as to write five pages or something a day :)**


	19. Chapter 18: Deepest Darkness

**Here's the second chapter for this week. I was out of ideas for a few days, so sorry. Anyway, let's get back into the action. All three groups have gone through with their plans, some more successful than others. But what is the next step? Find out :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Deepest Darkness**

Inside a dimly lit room, a man and a woman sat in armchairs, looking each other in the eyes. „They have made their move... do you think the time has come, Gaeus?" The man was in deep thought. „No, not quite... ff we tried right now, we would inevitably fail. We would just fall back into the old pattern, not changing anything at all. But you understood that already, didn't you... Yang?" Yang looked down. „But... how will we go about it? That woman... that woman is not the sister I knew anymore..." „I wonder..." Gaeus stood up and went behind the deep red curtains. „Don't forget, your memories are mine... and mine are yours... I know your sister just as well as you. And I tell you, she's still with us." „...What do you mean by that?" He reemerged behind Yang, embracing her from the back. „I could tell you... But I believe this is something you have to ponder on your own." Light began to flood the room. „Our time is up. Think hard, Yang. Bring back the Ruby we know..." In a flash, the room was gone, and Yang awoke in her tent.

* * *

Blake was sitting alone in a dark corner of the cave, her face buried in her knees. Why? Why did this have to happen? They worked so hard, so long, but in the end, they achieved nothing. Their „distraction" was pointless. All these deaths were pointless. She was wondering... was this really the right path? Or, were they just a pack of murderers, in denial of their own sins? „Finally! So here you are!" Blake lifted up her face. „...Sun...?" „Hey, what's with that grim look?" Her blood began to boil. „You... are you dense!? After what happened, how can you be so calm!? 'Two of our comrades died three days ago. Whatever!' If you're trying to cheer me up, You've just managed to make it even worse." Even Sun's smile faded now. „Listen, I... I just don't want you to stay in this corner forever. I'm sure Réné and Adam would feel the same way. Have you forgotten our goal? You have to pull through, for their sake as well." Blake sighed. „...I know... just... give me some time..." „I know you'll be fine again soon, Blake. After all, you've survived things like this before." Sun slowly started walking away, back towards the camp. „Wait!" Blake jumped up and ran after him, prompting him to turn around. „Tell Yang... I'm sorry. I know I've been a failure for most of my time here... But I won't give up! Definitely not!" Sun's smile came back. „Alright! See ya for dinner!" He ran off, filled with new energy. That bastard... A single tear ran down from Blake's eye. In the end, he did manage to cheer her up after all.

* * *

Somewhere, deep below the ice out in the wilds of Atlas...

„Station 72, prepare for docking. I repeat: Station 72, prepare for docking." Out of the subterranean tunnel leading to Mistral, a glider emerged. In the back, a hooded girl slept soundly, while another young woman with pristine white hair and eyes that shone a bright blue kept the craft on course. As they landed on station 72, the door immediately flew open and they were greeted by a hyperactive redhead. „Welcome back! Ooooh, did you break their legs? Or their arms? I can't wait to hear what you have to tell!" „Nora, calm down." Her black haired partner entered the glider as well. „Weiss, was your mission successful?" The heiress loosened her seat belt and turned around to face them. „Yeah, kinda... The Minister escaped, but those terrorists managed to demolish the building and killed a lot of employees on their way in." „Acceptable results." behind Ren and Nora, a tall man with long, silvery hair appeared. „Consul Julius?" „I came to talk to the Guardian, but I see she is resting. I must excuse myself in that case, but could you tell her to come to the conference room in sector 6 later this evening?" Weiss nodded. „Thank you very much. Well then, I wish you a fine day." The man walked away. Nora was weirded out „Seriously, why does he always have to be so sneaky?"

Ruby awoke in her room. How long did she sleep this time? She didn't show it, of course, but that fight with the wolf faunus had forced her to use a great deal of her powers. On the small desk beside her bed, a note was carelessly tacked on. „Hey, guess what? Ol' Julius wants to see you! Come to the CR in sector 6 later, and good luck staying awake XD" Nora... But at least the note did its job. Her scroll said it was around 7 PM, so she just took a quick shower and headed out.

The conference room was empty, except for the man with silver hair... Julius. „Ah, finally. I've been waiting, Miss Rose." „I'm sorry, I-" He laughed. „No need to apologize, my dear. After all, you work hard. It frankly baffles me to see that such a young, fine lady like yourself can achieve what an entire battalion couldn't. You deserve all the rest you want." He stood up from his chair and began walking in front of the large glass panel used for presentations. „But, I fear we will not be able to afford such leniancy in the future. The forces of darkness, the Followers of Grimm, are growing in numbers. We have received reports that the Red Claw, the most powerful tribe of the deserts of Vacuo, are now waving the Grimm flag next to theirs." They looked each other in the eyes, his light blue shine mirroring hers. „War is on the Horizon. We don't know when they'll strike, but I want you to go to Vacuo as soon as you've regained your strength." „I'm fine. I can go right away. It's my duty to protect the people from those Sinners, after all." He smiled. „But, do you think your partner is ready yet? It has been a long journey. At least wait until tomorrow." Ruby sighed. „...You're right. It's not like they'd attack right away, not after that blow I dealt them." „I'm glad you've decided to cool yourself off first. After all, if you overwork yourself, you won't have any energy left when you most need it." He sat down again. „There's one more thing..." The way he said that concearned her. „Yes...?" Without saying anything, he switched on the holographic projector. A blonde woman wearing a Grimm mask appeared on the screen.

„People of Remnant", she started, „Free yourselves from the shackles you are bound by! I, the Queen of Grimm, shall destroy the monuments of the false kings, one by one! Don't be blinded by their empty promises of salvation! The only ones who can save you is yourselves!" The video looped back to the beginning. Ruby was paralyzed. „This... this can't be... Yang!" „Yes, it seems to be that way indeed. Your sister has inherited the corrupt spirit of her mother and is spreading lies about the Senate to cause unrest." He stood up again and walked over, stopping next to her. „The Senate decided not to show you this, but I want you to know who we're up against. I don't want to lie to you, Ruby... The day may come on that you have to kill her." The two of them remained silent for a while. Then, with iron determination, Ruby said: „Those who stray from the path of righteousness... Those who turn to evil... In order to free them from their guilt, to cleanse their souls for the next life, I exist. Even if that woman was once my sister, the darkness within her is too deep for any form of redemption but death." She lifted up her face, revealing the tears that were rolling down her cheeks as she said that. „If, in order to save my sister, I have to kill her... Then so be it!" Julius smiled. „You are strong, Ruby. Very strong." She fell into his arms. „I'm sorry! This... this is so emberassing! But! But!" She collapsed into tears, Julius gently comforting her. Sometimes, one needs to cry in order to move forward.

* * *

The glimmering lights of Vacuo City were shining in the distance as countless riders drew closer and closer, scaling the dunes on the backs of their reptilian mounts. At their front rode a blonde woman, carried by a Black Wyvern. „It's time! Tonight, we will fight! Tomorrow, we shall dine in a palace!" The men cheered and screamed in excitement as they started to charge towards the sleeping city...

* * *

 **Whew, I was able to keep that twice per week promise, at least. The next chapters are probably going to be rather Ruby-centric, so look forward to seeing the other side of the argument some more. Who knows, maybe we have all misjudged them? After all, we've only seen all this through the eyes of Yang's faction up until now, and they are not quite flawless, either...**


	20. Chapter 19: Battle for Vacuo Part 1

**Ah, the start of a new week, hopefully with a bit more TSW. I really had some awesome ideas in the last days and hope I can fit them all in somehow. Yes, this is kinda like the series: I have a basic outline on what I want to do and expand on it (though that outline only came to be while writing the second chapter. Seriously, the first one was entirely based on that rudimentary concept that „Yang has secretly switched sides, Raven is on Cinders side, Cinder is Summer and there is some kind of evil council that's going to try some insane metaphysical apocalypse plan." That was my entire basis at that point)**

 **Special thanks to dudebladeX for pointing out the need for more clarity on who's talking.**

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Battle for Vacuo Part 1**

The watch towers of Vacuo City rang alarm. In a matter of minutes, everyone was awake. Were they under attack? Many rumors had sprouted up around the city recently that „terrorists" were hiding in the desert's expanse, but no one really believed them. Too unthinkable was resistance against the Senate that rid the world of the Grimm. But that naivity had left them unprepared.

„Sector 3, send out Senatoreal Knights to North Gate 1. Sector 4... Sector 4!?" Uvee almost crushed the microphone with her tight grip. This was bad! Really, really bad! What was she supposed to do!? She had joined the city guard because of the free gym membership! How was she supposed to know something like this would happen!? ...She had to cool her head somehow. But as she poked it out the window, a wyvern almost crashed straight into her face. Sand Wyverns... The tribes? Now everything made sense. The tribes were rebelling because of the water that had been redirected into the city's grand canals, leaving their livestock thirsty. She got back to the comm terminal and yelled: „Abandon the gates, they'll just fly over! Fight with the anti – airship guns!" A squealy voice answered with a distorted „Aye aye, madam!" Uvee leant back in her chair, breathing a sigh of relief. But then, a new transmission came in through the speakers. „Ignore the orders of Officer Rays! This is a State of Emergency! The military will take control from here on out!" Damn those idiots! If they really wanted Vacuo to fall to barbarians, then so be it! But they couldn't force her to go down with the ship! Grabbing her knife and her gun, she abandoned her post in the watch tower and dashed downstairs, almost falling and potentially breaking her neck in her rush to get away.

* * *

Blake ran over towards Yang, who was standing on a pile of demolished robot guards. „Yang, we have secured all the northern gates! What are your orders?" The blonde grinned. „Burn, plunder, rape, kill... whatever you wanna do, as long as you get rid of the Senatorials." Blake felt a little uncomfortable. „Isn't that a bit... excessive?" The blonde answered, looking at the faunus with burning red eyes: „We need to show them what fear is. The world is out of balance, Blake. So causing some chaos, letting the men run wild, is necessary, as sad as it may be." Blake decided not to ask anymore and just looked down in shame.

...Murderers...

That's right: Since all of this started, Blake had been involved in the killings of many, many people. Beheadings, bombings, fights with the authorities... What had she gotten herself into!? This was just like the White Fang. No, even worse! No matter how bad things got, with them, she never bloodied her hands, never... She came to a decision...

* * *

Ruby stormed into the room, making Weiss jump and hit her head on the ceiling. „Ouch! You dolt! Wha-" Ruby grabbed her by the sleeve and pulled her along. „No time to explain! We're going to Vacuo ASAP!" The heiress was still confused. „What's going on!?" „The Followers of Grimm are attacking!", Ruby explained. „We can't just sit here and do nothing! We have to go save people!" Weiss freed herself from her partner's grip. „And how do you intend to get to Vacuo in less than 53 hours!? That's impossible!" „Not quite." Weiss jumped onto Ruby's arms. „C-consul Julius!" The man laughed. „Ah, I love seeing people's faces when I surprise them... Anyway, follow me. I'll show you how you can get into the action right away." The girls worriedly looked at each other.

Julius lead them to a broom closet „So, here we go... uh... could you wait in here for a moment?" Weiss got angry. „Is this a joke!? Lifes are on the line here!" Deciding not to deal with the infuriated young woman, he shoved both girls in and quickly closed the door. Weiss immediately started banging on it, demanding to be released, but without success. „...! That... That bastard!" „Uuuhm, Weiss?", Ruby asked. The heiress turned around and shouted. „What is it?" „Is it me, or is there a door in the back?" Weiss sighed. „Ruby, I think we have much bigger problems than some door right no-" The door Ruby was referring to was suddenly kicked in by a strongly tanned man holding a simple hunting rifle. „Die, dogs of the Senate! Die!" He was about to pull the trigger as Ruby slowed down time, drew Crescent Rose and cut off the man's hands. He screamed in agony as red splattered onto Weiss' and her combat skirts. „Oh how Ren's going to love this...", Weiss sighed.

* * *

Uvee ran. She ran from her home, her friends, her duty. All that, left behind, just to stay alive. Most of the streets in the parts of the city she was in right now where empty. Abandoned as all who lived there had already either fled to the countryside or were cowering in bunkers. From the north, gunshots and the clashing of metal could be heard. Uvee could only wish her former comrades the best of luck now... even though she would probably never hear from them again.

After one more turn to the left, she was finally down in the dock district. Her father owned a fishing boat that was anchored close to the south end of the city. She could use that to escape. But just as she began crossing a crossroads, someone bumped into her, making her fall on her butt. „Ouch!" The hard concrete below wasn't a particularily delightful substance to hit at high speeds. „...Sorry." The stranger reached out to her and helped her up. Now, getting a good look at her, Uvee was stunned. Never had she seen such a beautiful woman... she was almost envious. Maybe not of her cat ears, branding her as a Faunus, one of the lower-tier citizens as determined by the Senate, or of her missing eye, but of her smooth skin, flowing black hair and golden iris. „N-no problem..." The woman started heading further along the road, telling her: „You should get away as soon as possible. This place is gonna go up in flames in a couple of minutes, too." „Wait!", Uvee shouted. „What about you? How are you going to escape?" The woman stopped and turned around. „I... don't really have a plan. I just figured I would find away somewhere along the road." Uvee approached her and took her hand. „Come with me! I have a boat that can get us to safety!" The woman's eye shimmered. „You... you would do tis? For someone like me?" Tears started forming. „Is something wrong?", Uvee asked. The woman shook her head. „No... Blake's the name." She started smiling. Seeing this, Uvee felt somewhat relieved. „I'm Uvee Rays. Nice to meet you, Blake."

* * *

 **OC TIME! I'll explain her looks as soon as I get back into Blake's perspective.**

 **Confused about my portrayal of Yang yet? Hopefully not. You should've seen it coming, considering all the horrible things they did and, fundamentally, because of the nature of Yang's powers and her role in the world. This is not a Good vs. Evil story, my friends. All is just a big mash of grey. I also kinda should get my planned ships started soon. It's really ridiculous how many times the plot has gotten in the way of that as of now.**

 **I'll release a part 2 tomorrow, on the 1 month anniversary of TSW, so look forward to that.**


	21. Chapter 20: Battle for Vacuo Part 2

**One month in and I have already established a cosmic cycle of two concepts clashing for dominance, killed off several major characters from the series and started an open war in a dystopian future. I hope you'll continue to read as this story descends deeper and deeper into the territory of ridiculous JRPG plots XD**

 **Thanks for all the views and your help in improving the writing style :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Battle for Vacuo Part 2**

Ruby and Weiss made their way across the battlefield. Robot soldiers clashed with tribesmen, Wyverns spew torching flames. The smell of blood and burnt flesh was in the air, making the heiress increasingly nauseous. They came under fire several times, in which case Weiss reflected with a mirror glyph. She didn't know what Ruby was up to, but for some reason, they were headed for North Gate 3.

In the middle of a crossroads, a group of policemen had entrenched themselves, enemies charging at them from all sides. Ruby reloaded Crescent Rose. „Give me one second!" She took of at mach speed, mowing down droves of brown skinned tribals, severed torsos and guts flying everywhere. Weiss had seen people die before, but this massive slaughter almost made her throw up, even if these people were followers of the darkness. However, Ruby did manage to free the policemen. „Thank you so much!", one older man said. They asked him how the situation around North Gate 3 was. „It's very bleak", he told them. „We retreated from there two hours ago. At that point, there were only around a dozen men left defending the area." They thanked him, after which his group fell back towards the City Guard Headquarters. Ruby looked at Weiss. „We're doin' this, partner?" Weiss reluctantly nodded. So much her stomach could take...

The way to their goal was paved with the corpses of many fallen tribesmen, as well as scrapped robots and, sadly, some unfortunate victims that got killed in the crossfire. However, surprisingly few enemies stood in their way. Were those Ruby slaughtered back at the crossroads the entire force they sent down this road? Though it was wide and straight, one could not see to the end of it with all the fire and smoke. The girls did not know yet that a great challenge lay ahead of them...

* * *

Yang smiled down at the man kneeling in front of her, before blowing the upper half of his head off with Ember Celica. Hei growled at the smoke clouds coming from the street leading south. „Oh, is someone coming from there? Go get 'em, girl! You've earned yourself a little reward. But don't expect me to play fetch with their bones." Hei ran off, eager to get something tasty to bite...

* * *

A growling could be heard in the distance. Weiss felt slightly uneasy about this. Was that a Wyvern? If so, it would have to be a really big one...

„Weiss! Look out!" Ruby pushed her aside, barely saving her from the scorching hot flames that shot through the smoke. They quickly got back on their feet and readied their weapons. The large creature that was approaching had ebony scales and long, sharp claws. Its wings stretched the entire width of the street. Truly, this fight would be difficult. „Weiss, I need a launch pad!", ruby yelled. The heiress concentrated, creating a glyph under her partner's feet. With tremendous speed, Ruby was catapulted in to the air, firing below to get even higher. The Wyvern was not one to stand idly by, however, and lunged at Weiss, trying to swallow her whole. She launched herself backwards to escape its powerful jaws, then forward again to attack. As she struck, a horrible screeching deafened her ears. Myrtenaster was not strong enough to pierce its scales and had scraped along the surface. This was bad! She had to avoid being hit by this monster until Ruby came down upon it with all the force of terminal velocity. But unfortunately, the creature had already buried its claws in her side.

…was this it? Dying like that, on a burning battlefield? She knew it would happen some day, but... this was a little early, wasn't it? Just as her vision began to fade, Weiss saw a serene, azure light coming down from the sky. „An... Angel...?" Her consciousness slipped away.

* * *

Hei's cry could be heard loudly at the gate. „No way!" Yang instantaneously started sprinting towards her Wyvern. She only just got her a few days ago, she would not let her die here!

As the smoke grew thinner, Yang could make out a white figure fighting Hei. The Wyvern's tail had been cut off, but she was still alive, even ready to fight. Nevertheless, Yang was enraged. With all her fury, she charged at the one fighting Hei. But moments before she would have struck them down, they turned around. „Ruby!?"

* * *

 **Ahahahaha, cliffhanger! But seriously, school has started again T_T I needed to find a good cut-off point because I still have other things to do later this evening. So this means: We have our first three-parter! Possibly even more!**


	22. Chapter 21: Battle for Vacuo Part 3

**Here's Part 3, just as promised still within the week. I'm starting to get some more time together, so 3 a week might become common again, though I doubt it will be like in the beginning (3 chapters in one day o_0) ever again.**

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Battle for Vacuo Part 3**

There they stood: The Guardian, defender of order, and the Queen of Grimm, bringer of chaos. Those two, who once loved each other and fought together now met on the battlefield. Both knew the coming of this day had been inevitable, but, perhaps out of the tiniest remnants of sympathy, they hesitated. Nevertheless, they were ready to fight to the death for what they believed was right. With sadness in her voice, Ruby spoke: „I'm sorry, sis, but this is it... I can't stand idly by and watch as you take so many innocent lives!" Yang's eyes burned a blazing red. „Speak for yourself! Do you have any idea what the Senate's been doing!? You're fighting to protect a dictatorship!" „SILENCE!" Ruby pointed Crescent Rose's barrel at her. „You are not my sister anymore!" Tears started rolling down her cheeks. „Yang... Yang would NEVER kill someone, EVER!" She kicked Yang away. „EVER!" Yang flew backwards at incredible speed, landing several hundred meters from where they had ben, almost back at the gate. Ruby, using her semblance, had already almost caught up with her. „Ruby, wait!" Yang held her hand in front of her face, begging for mercy. As Ruby stopped before her, she looked down on her with deep hatred glimmering through her tears. „You... How pathetic are you!?" Yang grinned „This pathetic!" Yang struck Ruby's abdomen with an uppercut, releasing a shotgun round. „Agh!" Ruby was thrown back a couple of meters and sunk to the ground, holding her stomach. „That was for the surprise kick!" Yang calmly walked over to her. „You... do you realize how much of a hypocrite you are? It's not like your hands are clean, either." Ruby ground her teeth. „A sinner's life is forfeit as soon as they commit evil. Murderers, thieves... they all must be cleansed by the justice of the Guardian! Even you!" Ruby swept with her legs, causing Yang to fall to the ground while she regained her footing. Now, she had her at gunpoint. The Queen of Grimm, so easily defeated... Actually, it was uncanny how easy it had been for her to defeat evil, both times. But then again, don't the good guys always win?

Just as she was about to pull the trigger, someone put their hands around her from behind and tried to wrestle Crescent Rose away from her. Yang recognized that person. „Summer!" Summer? No... it couldn't be...

* * *

Uvee loosened the ropes that bound the small fishing boat to the dock, while Blake did her best to get the anchor off the sea floor. That girl... She was wearing the uniform of a Vacuo City policewoman. Why didn't she help the others fight? ...Then again, Blake, who had abandoned those who were once her friends, had no right to question such a decision.

Finally, everything was ready. They left Vacuo, starting an odyssey with uncertain destination. Uvee's long, light purple hair waved in the winds as they looked back to the burning city. „...Farewell, Vacuo..." Uvee quietly waved as she said goodbye to her home... forever...

* * *

„Damnit! Get off of me!" Ruby was fighting against Summer's grip with all her strength, but couldn't manage to break free. Summer tried to break through to her. „Ruby, come to your senses! You don't know what you're doing!" „Shut up! You...! YOU!" Ruby stomped on Summer's foot, loosening her grip and allowing her to break free. She glared at Yang, more furious than she had ever been in her entire life. „You... You're not tricking me! No, you're not!" A loud growling could be heard, coming closer and closer. Yang was relieved. „Hei..." „Ah, that Wyvern..." Ruby took her eyes off of Yang and gazed into the distance. Indeed, that scaly beast was approaching. This was bad... If the Wyvern joined in, too, she would be completely outmatched. Summer took Ruby's hand, this time softly. Was she... crying? Ruby didn't dare to look back. She didn't want to believe that the person behind her could be her mother. It couldn't be. Summer had died back when she was two. She tore herself from that person and sprinted away, past the Wyvern, who was so stunned by her zipping by so quickly that it couldn't follow.

She got back to the part of the road where they had fought that black, scaly monster. Weiss lay motionless on the floor. That... how did she not notice that!? She hurried over to her side. „Weiss! WEISS!" No response. She checked for a pulse. Miraculously, the heiress was still alive, even though her right arm had been as good as completely cut off. She had to get her to safety, to a doctor... Only now did Ruby realize tey were alone. The city was overrun by enemies. There was no way back for them.

To make matters worse, something began to howl. It was not the growling and hissing of Wyverns. No, this sound was one she recognized from a long, long time ago... Beowolves. Ruby broke down. She had failed. Darkness had returned to Remnant and was about to consume the brightest beacon of light... But as she was about to give up, someone offered her their hand. „Do you desire power?" Ruby looked up, shakingly, at the figure above her. „Consul... Julius...?" „I asked you something, Ruby. Do you desire power? Do you desire the strength to save Weiss? To fix your mistakes? If so, then take my hand and fight on. If not, then this is farewell." Without a moment's hesitation, ruby reached out to him. „Yes! I want to save Weiss! I want to bring the world hope! Want to live!" Julius smiled. „Very well. Then I shall grant you the power you seek." Something inside Ruby felt warm. She... she felt herself get stronger, from second to second. Julius had disappeared, just as mysteriously as he had come. She got back on her feet and gently lifted Weiss up on her arms. Then, she concentrated, as much as she could. She pictured her, with Weiss in her arms, standing inside her room in the base in Atlas. She didn't know why, but she had the feeling it would work.

„Uaaaaah! Oh my god, is that BLOOD!?" Ruby looked around in confusion. It had worked! She was inside her room. The one who screamed like a girl just now was Ren, who was just as surprised as she that she actually just popped up in this place. „Quick, Ren! Get Weiss to the Med Bay!" After shaking off the confusion, Ren nodded, took Weiss and ran out of the door as fast as he could.

Breathing heavily, but truly relieved, Ruby fell onto her bed. All doubts she had had been cleared. There was no other way: Yang was lost. She had been possessed, corrupted... She doubted her sister was even still alive in there somewhere. It was like she... had been devoured by a demon. And... that woman... who attacked from behind...

„...Mother..."

Ruby mumbled these words as she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

 **Thought this was gonna be the climax? Oh nonononono! We've only just begun :) So, none of the two seem to be willing to budge an inch from their position. Will there be a happy end? Or will this turn into a tragedy? And what will happen to Blake and Uvee? Find out next time on: The Secret War!**


	23. Chapter 22: Open Seas

**Ahaha... The show's getting better and better with every episode. Now let's try the same here...**

* * *

 **Chapter 22: Open Seas**

Water. Water, water, nothing but water. The great sand dunes of Vacuo had long vanished beyond the horizon as the sun finally arose in the morning. It had been a terrible night. All the confusion in Blake's head and the raging waves had kept her awake. She really envied this girl, Uvee, for her ability to sleep despite all this, altough she snored horribly. As the first rays of light hit her eyes, she tried to turn to the side and rolled off the little bench by the railing and fell hard. „Aaaaaah! Puppies! Puppies everywhere!" Uvee flailed around in panic while Blake laughed. „Calm down, calm down. There are no puppies on this ship." Uvee opened her eyes and looked around. After making sure there were absolutely no puppies, she breathed a sigh of relief. „My allergy... I was scared shitless there." Blake was looking out to the side. „Why were you laughing?", Uvee asked. „You know... Someone I knew had a similar dream once. She died the day after..." Uvee looked down. „I... I'm sorry for asking." Blake turned her head towards the girl, laughing just as she did before. „Cmon, if I was sad, I wouldn't be laughing. I've made my peace with her death, and now, only the good memories remain." Uvee looked up again, into Blake's singular eye. „You... who are you, anyway?" Blake smiled. „Same question to you." They sat down, and Uvee started explaining. „Okay... My name, as I said before, is Uvee Rays. I'm 19 years old and am... was... part of the Vacuo City Guard. And I, well..." „You are a faunus, right?" Uvee was surprised. „How could you tell?" „Well..." Blake removed her bow, revealing her cat ears. „I just... kinda smelled it. Though I've never smelled this particular type..." Uvee was quick to answer. „Manta ray." Blake raised an exebrow „Didn't know faunus like you even existed..." „Yeah..." Uvee got depressed. „My parents came to Vacuo after they took over the secluded archipelago I was born on. Seriously, three years ago we didn't even know Dust existed. So no one believes us at first..." Blake stared at her in unbelief. „No way!" Uvee laughed. „Yes, and we wore loincloths 'n stuff. Funny how quickly life can change, huh? …Anyway, what about you? What were you doing in Vacuo? Business or pleasure?" Blake's mood worsened from one second to the next. „I... I really don't know anymore. I got caught up in this... stupid, idealistic movement. By the time I realized how brainwashed I had become, we were already at the gates, invading a city full of innocent people." Uvee's eyes widened. „Wait, you..." A strong breeze blew through Blake's hair. „Yes, indeed..." Uvee sat down. „You... are gonna have to kill me, aren't you?" „What? No! Stop assuming pessimistic shit!" Uvee was confused. „You're not making any sense! You're not sad when thinking of your dead friend, you let me live even though I might tell someone and get you killed!" A smile formed on Blake's face. „You? Tell anyone? Who abandoned her post when the Followers of Grimm attacked? You'd get shot before you could say anything. We're on the same boat, you and I, so if we both keep our mouths shut, nobody has any problems." Uvee was intimidated. She didn't know how to respond. Instead, she looked out at the open sea. Suddenly, she said in a monotone voice: „...There is a problem..." „What kind of problem...?", Blake asked. „THIS problem!" far in the distance, a fleet bearing the Senatorial seal was approaching, likely in an attempt to take back Vacuo City. Blake's jaw dropped. „Oh, fuck me!"

* * *

Ruby awoke to a tounge licking her ear. „Ugh! Zwei, stop it! I'm not in the mood..." The licking continued. „Zwei, I said..." Ruby slowly opened her eyes. It was not Zwei who was licking her ear... It was Nora. „Finally! I was just about to get Magnhild and hammer your face in!" „Nora." Ren put his hand on her shoulder. „That would have been rather... counterproductive." Nora puffed her cheeks in protest, like a little child. Ruby rubbed her eyes. „...How long did I sleep this time?" „Two hours.", Ren answered. „What? Just two? Then... why did you wake me up?" Ren looked down. „It's... Weiss..."

* * *

One of the guards noticed a small, empty boat floating atop the surface near his ship. „Strange.", he thought to himself. It was probably cut loose as the enemy secured the harbour, but this was a bit far out on the ocean. He continued on his patrol, quickly forgetting about the little boat...

Underwater, clinging to the side of the boat, were Blake and Uvee. The manta ray faunus used her water breathing to create air for her feline companion as they waited for the fleet to pass them by. Just as the turbines got out of sight, they came up. Blake caughed like never before. „Damn... I never hated water this much!" They got back onto the boat, their clothes completely soaked with salty sea water. As Uvee started undressing herself, Blake tried to stop her. „Wait, what're you doing? We don't have anything to change into!" „What?", Uvee replied. „We're alone out here and the sun burns hot. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Just pretend we are in the shower." Blake blushed.

As night fell, Blake laid down next to Uvee. „Listen... Back this morning, I sounded like an asshole. I... It got across more threatening than I intended..." The moon shone onto Uvee's face, revealing her slight smile. „Don't worry. You were right with what you said. We are on this boat together." Blake returned her smile. Then, suddenly, her stomach grumbled. „We didn't eat anything at all today, did we..." „Don't worry", Uvee assured her. „We're gonna let down the net tomorrow and catch some fish. We're gonna have to go without cooking 'em, though..." Blake looked up at the stars. „I'm looking forward to it, anyway..." Silence. The two of them lay together, side by side. Then, slowly, Blake turned towards Uvee. „What is it?" As she turned her head to look the cat faunus in the eye, Their lips connected.

* * *

 **Two girls on a ship... I mean boat XD**

 **What happened to Weiss? I won't tell :) Let's just say... her fate is kinda in YOUR hands right now... What do I mean by that? Review this chapter to find out...**


	24. Chapter 23: Desire

**Dear readers, I am thoroughly disappointed. Around 60 people have read Chapter 22 by the time I write this down, and only ONE has left a review on what to do with Weiss. Congrats, guys! This is what you get if only one person responds when I put up a vote. I even gave you extra time for that! Geez...**

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Desire**

Weiss was floating in an empty space. Where was she? The last thing she remembered... that angelic blue light, descending from above... She took a look at her right arm. The claws of that wyvern had done their job. It was barely still attached, but... it didn't hurt. That was strange... Why didn't it hurt anymore?

A bright light descended from above. With a soft voice, it spoke: „Daughter of man... The time has come for your soul to return to the great sea of the cosmos..." So that was it, wasn't it? She had died... Weiss felt something inside her chest. Grief, regret... there was so much she still wanted to do, so much she still had to say. The light came closer and closer. „Daughter of man... I sense great attachment to this life within you... Great desire..." It saw right through her. It knew everything. What was this light?

As if it could hear her thoughts, it spoke again: „I am Inanitas, the Empty One... I am the final guide of souls that have passed on... Tell me, daughter of man... what do you desire? What is it that binds you to this life?" Weiss' throat was sore. It was just like after one of her concerts. Despite that, she managed to speak. „I... I want to protect someone close to me. She is going through a lot of hardships... so my death... I cannot bear to think of her face, crying bitter tears over me..." The light changed colours, from white to blue. „I see... It is unfortunate, but death cannot be is impossible for you to return as the person you were." Weiss knew that. The dead could not return. But... she couldn't just...

The light raised its voice again. „I see you are distressed, daughter of man... Your desires cannot be laid to rest... If that is so, I may be able to offer assistance." „What do you mean...?", Weiss asked. The light changed its colour again, to purple. „If your wish is to protect a person... If your desire is strong enough... the flow of time itself might bend for you, so you can rejoin them. Not as the person you were, but as someone else. However, the chain of events cannot be changed. History will take its course up to the point of your death, no matter what you do. After that, however..." Weiss started to free herself from despair. If what that light said was right... she could still be by Ruby's side. She was determined! The light changed to scarlet red. „...I see, your desire is stronger than any I have seen in millennia. Very well, may the tides take you to the place you long for..." The light vanished and the void began to fade to white...

* * *

Ruby stared at Weiss' cold, lifeless face. It was like she was sleeping peacefully... The only reminder of reality was the huge gash across her chest starting from her right shoulder and running diagonally down. This feeling... this feeling inside of her... Where had Ruby felt something like this before? It felt like forever ago, but... on that day, the day she took on this burden, she felt the same as now. It was the feeling of losing something dear, something one took for granted... She still didn't know what she had lost that day, but this time, it was staring her right in the eye: Weiss, her partner, her closest friend, was dead. And, just as bitterly as she cried after the death of her mother, she cried for her. „Farewell... Weiss..." She turned her back on the lifeless body as the medics covered her face with the blanket. The Followers of Grimm... The one who stole the form of her sister... They would pay! They would pay for their sins! Even if... it was to cost her life as well...

* * *

„Congratulations, Miss Scarlatina! It's a healthy little girl!" The doctor put the newborn child into Purpur Scarlatina's arms. „Well?", asked her husband, Karmin Scarlatina, „Go ahead and give her a name." The little girl's eyes were closed. She wasn't screaming... though she seemed to be awake. „Velvet... this will be her name. Velvet Scarlatina."

Velvet was never a really outspoken child. Not before she came to Beacon, at least. She always seemed focused, as if striving towards some elusive goal. That all changed when she met Coco. Even though she still didn't become a social butterfly, she definitely started to open up to those around her.

And with the start of her second year, the time she was subconsciously waiting for all her life finally arrived...

* * *

The first to come running out of the airship bringing in the new first year students was a slender boy with blonde hair, who immediately went for the nearest trash can. Following in a small group of people were two girls that, for some reason or another, caught Velvet's eye: A well endowed young woman with long, blonde hair sporting a leather jacket, and what seemed to be a little kid wearing a black combat skirt with a red hood. She didn't know why, but something drew her towards these two... a feeling of nostalgia... a feeling of regret... but also a feeling of unease...

As she returned to team CFVY's dorm room, she was greeted with a flood of clothes. „What the...! Coco, you STILL haven't decided what you want to wear this evening?" Her team leader was digging inside her ridiculously huge closet for any scrap of clothing she could find. „Aaaaah, the absolute horror! My first date with Fox and I can't find anything decent at all!" Velvet sighed. „You know, you can always just wear what you always-" Coco snapped. „HAVE YOU GONE MAD!? What kind of lowly peasent would... right, your parents are farmers... hehe..." Velvet sat down on her bed. „Did the new students arrive already?", Coco asked. „Yeah", said Velvet, „Half of 'em look like they won't last a month." Coco laughed. „Seriously, what do they expect? A cakewalk?" Velvet couldn't keep a smile off her face, either. „That would probably be too much already for that blonde whimp who threw up." The two of them chatted for a minute, until Coco remembered what she was doing.

* * *

The following months were unexpectedly hard. In particular, there was this one first year who Velvet wouldn't have minded being crushed by a bulldozer and buried under five meters of concrete: Cardin Winchester and, by extention, his gang (although she temporarily developed some kind of masochistic crush on Dove Bronzewing). And the most humiliating thing about it was how she and that blonde Barfboy, Jaune Arc, seemed to be the only ones being teased by them, at least to this degree. In all the years she had to endure people staring at her ears, no one made her hate humanity as much as that buffoon. Eventually, however, he seemed to get calmer and more mature.

It was between the first and second semester that she finally got the oppurtunity to meet those two girls, both of whom were members of team RWBY, together with a calm, black haired girl called Blake and... a white haired „princess" called Weiss who gave her this strange feeling even more than the blonde and the kid. She had heard their names a thousand times in class by that point: Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long. Well, technically Ruby Rose Xiao Long, but no one actually cared to say that long of a name out loud. The five of them spent a lot of time together, going shopping for clothes – for which she had to make sure Coco didn't notice anything, otherwise the trip would have at least taken several weeks – playing games in the big arcade in downtown Vale and, of course, having regular brawls between Yang and any of the others. Yatsuhashi was sometimes there as well. He and Velvet had known each other since combat school, and by the end of semester break, they were finally dating.

It was a fun time, for sure. But at last, classes resumed and their free time was cut drastically. And at the end of the first week, team CFVY had to go out on a mission. „Won't take long! Maybe a few dozen Beowolves!" That's what Doctor Oobleck said in a nutshell. Reality, however, looked ever so sliiiiiiiightly different... Hundreds of Ursas and two giant Nevermores. Because of this, it took them a very long time and a lot of frustration to take them out. They returned just in time to say goodbye to the first years, who were going out on an expedition observing real Huntsmen and Huntresses at work.

The next night's sleep was cut short, as the sirens rang alarm in the city: The White Fang had blown open a sealed tunnel leading to Mountain Glenn, a heavily Grimm infested area and also the area team RWBY had gone to. As expected, the four girls were present at the scene, protecting the civilians. However, the battle was surprisingly easy. Velvet didn't even have to use her weapon, Wunderland.

The Vytal festival was... a minor desaster... They got through the first round, but lost in the second. Even worse, Coco seemed... damaged after this. She couldn't stop thinking about how she saw Yatsuhashi in the forest biome, even though he never went there, and it was driving her nuts. Well, at least they got to see the other fights...

* * *

The final round of the festival was over. Team RWBY had won, and the ceremony was about to begin. Then, it happened: Smoke enveloped the entire arena. There were gunshots, then screams and finally an explosion. What was going on!? Velvet and her friends tried to get away, but along the way, they got separated. She was able to reach one of the last airships that left before the arena fell onto the surface. She later found out that Coco, Fox and Yatsuhashi all died that day. Understandibly, she was devastated. She wouldn't get over it for more than a year.

Ruby and Weiss were moved ahead and graduated by the end of the semester. Yang and Blake, however, mysteriously vanished after the incident. Their names didn't show up with the ones that had died because of that desaster. No one knew what had happened to them. Martial law had also been declared and a Senate established to manage the crisis. The world was indeed in chaos...

Velvet's new team was basically the polar opposite of what she would have wanted: Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush and Tort Luise, one of the finalists from Haven, who had transferred after the festival. „Team CRVT"... Not a name she personally liked...

Eventually, the day came that they graduated. Velvet left immediately for Mistral, never ever wanting to have to endure Russel's snoring again. She took on jobs of all kind, but more often than not, she ended up on missions for the Senate, who had become the biggest employer on Remnant. It was during the time of her third year out on the open market that she got a request from a certain person...

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

 **There are 3 reasons this chapter took so long:**

 **I wanted to give you time to vote...**

 **I had a very stressful weekend**

 **It became slightly longer**

 **The one vote I got said to kill, maim or cripple Weiss, so I decided to kill her off... kinda...**

 **Always read the author's notes, guys. It might save the life of your favourite character one day...**


	25. Chapter 24: Reversal Part 1

**Last chapter... yeah. It wasn't meant to be a cop out. More of a crazy as balls reason to have Velvet as a main character and fulfilling the wish of the singular voter at the same time. I guess I should have thought of the possibility of it being interpreted differently, though... Sorry XD**

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Reversal Part 1**

How long had they been drifting across the ocean now? It felt like an eternity since Blake had last seen land. They had been living off of fish and rainwater for weeks now, and were both in dire need of a shower. But on this day, after all this time, they found land. „Hey", said Uvee, pointing her finger to the west. „There's... There's land over there!" „Say what!?" Blake couldn't believe her eyes. Where Uvee was pointing, green foothills arose out of the water. They were saved! They could finally leave this cursed boat that smelled of tuna so badly even Blake got sick of it.

In less than an hour, they had arrived at the shore and gotten off the boat, leaving it to its fate. They never wanted to be reminded of the journey, at least not the part after the first two or three days. „So", asked Blake, „Should we go search for some civilization?" Uvee nodded in agreement. And it turned out they didn't need to go that far at all: Beyond the hills, at the mouth of a roaring river, was Mistral, overlooked by the mighty fortress that was Haven Academy. A cocktail of emotions swirled through Blake's head: Fear, uncertainty, but also determination. She would use her knowledge of that madwoman's plans for the greater good. She had already made up her mind. Even if it meant they would take her head, Yang could not be allowed to continue spreading chaos.

* * *

Meanwhile, a hooded woman was approaching the Academy. She didn't want anyone to see her face too clearly. After all, she was „dead".

Velvet stood there, staring at the job board. The life of a Huntress had gotten to be very hard. Jobs were few and far between, now that the Grimm were almost extinct. Suddenly, she felt a finger tapping on her shoulder. As she turned around, she met two familiar eyes. „Co-" Coco put her hand on Velvet's mouth. „Shhhh! You want to get both of us killed?" Velvet shook her head. „Good", whispered Coco, „Follow me and don't say anything until I tell you it's safe." She took her hand off of Velvet's mouth and they both started heading for the exit. They exited on the left side, while a one eyed woman with messy black hair entered on the other, accompanied by an equally messy purple haired woman.

* * *

A guard entered the headmaster's office. „Professor Marine, there is a woman that seeks to talk to you." „Let her in.", she said, incredibly bored. However, her eyes quickly widened as she saw the woman entering. „Well, who do we have here? I'm surprised that someone of your group would have enough balls to-" „I'm sorry to disappoint you", said Blake, „I've come because I wanted to get into contact with the Senate. I've got some information for them that might be useful." The Professor was unsure what to make of her. That was completely understandable, considering she was responsible for the death of a Senator. „Alright", Marine told her, „But don't expect to get a pardon for this." Blake nodded. „I don't."

* * *

Coco led Velvet into a small group of trees. „Okay, I think it's safe now." She pulled back the hood. Velvet was nervous and confused. „Coco... I thought you were dead! What happened?" Coco's expression darkened. „The Senate happened..." „Wha... what do you mean?" Tears welled up in Coco's eyes. „They... my god, Fox! They fucking killed him! Just like that!" Velvet softly took her into her arms. „There, there..." „S... sorry..." Coco took a few deep breaths. „You remember that day, don't you?" Velvet nodded. „Yeah..." „After we got separated... we ran into Blake. We went with her and tried to get off the arena island. But... there were these men... they were after Blake, and while trying to protect her... Fox got shot." Coco really had to force herself not to cry. „We got away, but it turned out the Senate that was 'Established' back then wanted Blake dead. So, we ended up fleeing to Vacuo, and there, we met Yang." „What?", Velvet asked surprised, „You know where Yang is? You should tell Ruby, she'd-" „NO!" This answer shocked Velvet to her very core. „Wh-why not?" Coco sighed. „You don't get it, do you... Ruby works for the Senate! Do you have any idea what these guys would do to her?" „Whoa, calm down! I've worked for them a lot, they aren't that bad." Coco looked at her with fury in her eyes. „So, you're telling me that killing Fox isn't 'that bad'!?" Velvet turned her head to the side, to avoid Coco's stinging gaze. „No, that's... Okay, I'm sorry." She turned back towards Coco. „So, what is it you want from me?" Coco smiled.

„...We want you to kill someone..."

* * *

„C'mon, what's up with that stance? You're even worse than I was in first year!" Once again, Yang lost her footing. They had been training with these wooden swords for a while now, but progress was slow. „Seriously", Jaune complained, „Why do you even bother to learn swordfighting? Is Ember Celica not good enough anymore?" Yang unsteadily got back up. „That's... a secret." „Weird cosmic chaosgod stuff?", he asked. „Pretty much..." Yang got ready, and charged again.

* * *

 **New PC! Finally! I wanted to finish this yesterday, but then... Star Wars. More than a month old, but the cinema was still bursting.**


	26. Chapter 25: Reversal Part 2

**New PC :) GTX 970 for extra GFX POWER!**

 **Steam is still downloading my games (The Internet connection in rural Germany is shit), so I got a little bit of time on my hands again. I got a little bit less active when school started up again, but I won't abandon ship on you now. We're almost half way through my plans (Yes, they are rather ambitious) and things are looking... well, as crazy as ever. Look forward to all the insane shit my mildly psychotic mind still has in store for you XD**

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Reversal Part 2**

„W... what...?" Velvet was shocked and confused. Her? Kill someone? Was Coco out of her mind? „I knew you'd react like that. But listen, this is very important: One of the three great Consuls, Nero, is planning to establish absolute, unrivaled power for himself. I'm... part of a resistance group, so to speak, and we need someone who can move around freely in broad daylight to assist us. Please, won't you help us?" Velvet thought about it for a moment, then asked: „What's in it for me?" Coco smiled. „Yatsuhashi's eternal gratitude?" Immediately, Velvet replied: „I'm in!"

* * *

The huge holographic screen in the middle of the headmaster's office displayed three blackened sillhouettes and the words „Senatus Saecula Ordinem" So, the headmasters of the Academies didn't even know who they're working for. Somehow, Blake felt amused by the thought that people as high and mighty as these were being played even more than she had been. None of them could understand the problems in their thinking; None of them had reached the conclusion she had.

A deep voice sounded throughout the room. „So then: Speak, Sinner. What you tell us today will determine the severity of your punishment." Blake closed her eye and took a deep breath. „I have information about three things for you: The troops and equipment at the Followers' disposal, the rough overall war plan and the end goal the Queen is trying to reach." A female voice spoke. „We're listening..." Blake glanced over to Professor Marine, who also seemed very interested all of a sudden. „Okay. I'll start with the troops: The Followers consist of roughly 500 devout warriors directly loyal to the Queen, as well as around 3000 Warriors of the desert tribes. They are in the possession of two giant sandships, as well as 1200 domesticated Wyverns and 7000 Dust Pulse Rifles." She made a slight pause. The Professor looked deeply in thought. „Continue, young lady", the deep voice urged her. „Sorry, on to the overall war plan: Taking over Vacuo was only the first step in their plan. The next one is to distabilize the Senate from within and quickly take over Vale, before launching an invasion on Atlas." A third, soft male voice spoke. „Tell us, Sinner: How do they intend to infiltrate our ranks? Who is the one meant to bring the Senate to its knees?" Blake shook her head. „Unfortunately, I don't know. It hadn't been decided by the time I left. However, I can tell you about a spy leaking sensitive information: Rudiger Schwan Fitzgerald, one of the monopolists you yourselves built up has sided with the Followers." The female voice shook. „I knew iot! That bastard..." „Go on", the soft voice told her. „Right. Now for the important part: The reason all this is happening... The Queen of Grimm wants to resurrect her original form." Silence. Blake could only imagine the horror that had overcome the Senators speaking to her. „I – impossible!", said the deep voice. „The Gods died eons ago!" „But their corpses haven't fallen apart, have they?", the female voice argued. „I agree", said the soft voice, „The possibility is very real, considering we are dealing with forces that preceed the laws of this universe."

The Voices kept arguing for about half an hour, before adressing Blake again. „You've done well to tell us this. But your crimes cannot go unpunished. However, instead of executing you, we have instead decided that you should repay the damage you've done to the people of Remnant by assisting with their protection from here on out. Professor Marine?" The Headmaster nodded and took Blake's hand. „Come with me." Her eyes wandered from Blake to the door. „And take your purple haired friend with you. She has heard too much, and we don't want her to 'go missing', after all..."

* * *

Yang lay down on her bed and buried her face in her pillow. It had been three weeks now, but the hate filled eyes of her sister were still burnt into her mind. „Why? Why can't she see? I'm only trying to do the right thing...

Thousands of kilometers away, Ruby, too, was restless. „Yang... That monster that has replaced her... Don't worry, sis... I won't let your body be defiled much longer..."

„Two girls, once sisters... Now, sworn enemies... Interesting... Very, VERY interesting..."

„Interesting? Have you no compassion?"

„C'mon, it's not like you care, either. After all, aren't you supposed to be the God of Chaos, Gaeus?"

„Exactly... But that's the very reason I can feel such emotions in the first place. Unlike you, who cynically claims to be just..."

„Order needs to be upheld, old friend. Such is the nature of this universe. If you hadn't rebelled back then..."

„...The world wouldn't be as much fun. Or what did you want to say... Enas?"

„...Let's just go with what you said, okay? However, I will not go easy on you. You understand that, right?"

„Right."

* * *

 **Little bit of a weird way to end this chapter, ain't it? We're going to get a lot more into the cosmic elements of the story soon. Write me what you think will happen. If you're right, I will send you some authentic German Sauerkraut XD (Would technically work 0_o That stuff doesn't spoil for centuries!)**


	27. Chapter 26: The Fear of Failure

**It's Sunday again, which means the weekly dose of two RWBYs, unless you shove some extra cash down RT's ass XD**

 **Today, we're finally advancing our main ship for this story a bit. This one 's been comin' for AGES...**

* * *

 **Chapter 26: The Fear of Failure**

Mercury sat on a wooden chair in a dark room, only illuminated by a flickering old light bulb. Emerald, Summer and Yang were sitting around him, forming a triangle. They stared at him, with a sense of... contempt. Emerald began to speak, but not in her usual voice. She sounded like... like hundreds of people speaking in unison. „Congrats, failure! Now I gotta deal with your mess again!" She burst into flames. The light bulb flickered, and Emerald was gone.

Now, Summer opened her mouth, but no words came forth. Her throat suddenly burst, spraying forth blood onto the horrified Mercury and the unfazed Yang.

Lastly, Yang spoke to him, in her normal voice, for once. „Farewell... liar." She started to fade. Mercury desperately tried to reach her, to hold her, to not let her disappear, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get closer to her chair. As the last outlines of Yang's form faded, the light bulb burst.

* * *

Mercury unsteadily got up. That dream again... what did this dream mean? What did he do? What was it that was haunting him? Perhaps... his failure back then? That one night, the alcohol... He reached for the small flask of Vodka he always kept by his bedside, but decided not to drink. Instead, he only passed it from one hand to the other. No, he couldn't continue like this. That dream, those words... they were a warning. Maybe from some being that took pity on him, maybe from his own subconsciousness. However, the message was clear: If he continued to fail, if he continued to cause trouble for everyone, he would eventually lose everything.

Outside his room, Emerald was waiting. „Do you know how late it is?" Mercury sighed. „It's noon, isn't it?" Emerald smiled. „Well, at least you acknowledge the problem. Now you only need to fix it..." Emerald was strangely cheerful. TOO cheerful. „Did something happen earlier? You seem to be quite... erm... happy." „Well", she answered, „Yang decided to promote me. You know, that whole Blake thing... I'm taking her place as the queen's left hand." Mercury was confused. „I still don't get why it is the left." Emerald giggled. „Because the right is obviously Cin- I mean, Summer. ...Anyways, I gotta go now. Oh, and Summer wanted to see you. She's out all the way in the back of the police station. And... don't tell anyone. You know, that's one of these 'top secret' – type meetings." She left, skipping with joy.

* * *

The police station was one of the buildings that had taken the worst beating during the battle. Mercury almost couldn't believe it had been a whole month already.

Summer was waiting for him in the back, just as Emerald said. „So", Mercury asked, „You wanted to talk about something?" Summer had a troubled look on her face. „It's about our mole... they've managed to dig him up." Cold sweat began running down Mercury's back. „Wh – what? How'd they figure out who it was?" Summer grid her teeth. „That's what I want to know. I'll be honest with you: I think there might be a traitor among us." Mercury stood there, trying to process what he just heard. They were in deep shit. Deep, deep shit. Summer snapped her fingers. „Hey, Mercury! I can't have you dozing off now!" He snapped back to reality. „Sorry..." „Anyway", Summer continued, „We have to be on high alert from now on. If the Senate has infiltrated our ranks, who knows what they might try. Our first priority should be to make sure nothing happens o the Queen. And that's why I called you here: I want you to become Yang's 'Guardian Angel', so to speak. Keep an eye on her from a distance, and whatever you do, don't let anyone notice what you're actually doing. Anyone could be an enemy." Mercury was confused. „Why did you ask me, then?" Summer laughed. „Oh, Mercury... Because you're too stupid to betray us, of course." He sighed. „I'll take that as a compliment..."

* * *

Yang was carrying supplies from the depot to the docks. The invasion of Vale was only two weeks away now, and they would have to depart in ten days. Mercry looked up to her. In her position, she could just kick back and let the small chores be done by some underling, but instead, she helped out as much as she could. What was he compared to her? A nobody, trash, a failure of a human being... He couldn't even save his mother back then...

He continued sweeping the street – the task he used as a cover up to avoid raising suspicion – until Yang suddenly called him over. „Hey, Merc! Help us load up the Yang – Cannon!" „The Yang – Cannon!?", Mercury, shouted back in her direction. „Yeah, the Yang – Cannon. The big fucking cannon that we found and modified? You remember?"

With „modified", she probably meant they wrote „PropRT of Yang" with yellow paint on the side of the cannon. It truly was monstrous. So monstrous that even Yang needed help carrying it. After they were done, Yang approached him. „Good job, buddy. Wanna grab a bite to eat? A tribesman has reopened one of the restaurants. Though they mostly serve Wyvern eggs..." Mercury saw that as an opportunity to stay close to her. „Yeah, why not? I'll pay."

* * *

Thousands of kilometers away, on the island of Patch...

Taiyang was sitting in his old armchair. The last years had left him a wreck. As if the death of both his loves hadn't been enough, one of his daughters was dead, too, and the other one was who – knows – where. But on this morning, an old friend visited his small house at the edge of the woods.

Professor Ozpin. He hadn't seen that face in more than two decades, but it hadn't changed at all. Not a single wrinkle had appeared on it, which was remarkable, consideing he was... how old, again?

„Good morning, Mister Xiao Long." „If you're here to make me feel better about my girls, you can piss right off.", he barked back at him. Ozpin ignored his harsh tone. „That is not my intention, old friend. No, I am here because we need your help." „'We'?", Taiyang asked. „Yes, we. The Senate... could use the help of an experienced Huntsman like you." Taiyang took a sip from the glass of gin that stood on the small table in front of him. „Why would I even care? It's not like anything matters anymore..." „Well then, it seems like Ruby will be disappointed, then." As Ozpin was turning to leave, Taiyang jumped up and grabbed him by the shoulder. „Hold on! Did you just say..." Ozpin's lips formed a wide smile.

* * *

 **FEAR THE WRATH OF THE YANG – CANNON!**

 **Uuuuhm... yeah. Yang seems to have the same kind of ego as a certain blonde sand pirate. If you know who I'm talking about, write it in a review. That Sauerkraut offer from last time extends to this. I'm serious. I will send you some, provided you answer correctly and give me an adress to send it to. I had stuff sent over the Atlantic in a week, and Sauerkraut can last for months without refridgeration.**


	28. Chapter 27: Reunion

**Another Sunday, another chapter... Monday and Tuesday are gonna be a pain in the ass for me :( Hopefully I'll get a little bit done here despite that. I'm also making it official now: This is a sunday thing, because school. Period.**

* * *

 **Chapter 27: Reunion**

The guards led Blake out of the glider. She didn't know where they were, just that they had been flying through a tunnel for at least a solid day or two. She stepped out onto some kind of dock. People were busily running around, shouting, loading things onto gliders.

A tall man with hair of sparkling silver approached Blake and her „escort". „Sir! We have brought the subject, Blake Belladonna, as requested." The man smiled and motioned Blake to come over to him. „Thank you. I will take care of everything else. Go and grab yourself a coffee in the staff room." Her two guards saluted. „Sir! Yes sir!" The mysterious man looked at her face, taking in every detail. „Interesting... You look exactly like she described you. Except, well, for your eye..." „I lost it when I had to escape from your underlings after the Vytal Festival Massacre." The man sighed. „I see... I'm terribly sorry for what happened to you back then. You have to understand, you were under serious suspicion of cooperating with the forces of darkness. But I guess it was this paranoia that pushed you into their arms to begin with..." Blake was getting a really weird vibe from this man. „If I may ask... Who, exactly, are you?" The man smiled. „My name is Alexander Ozpin, although my ceremonial name is Julius. I am a member of the Triconsulate and responsible for the Guardian." Blake was surprised. „Ozpin!?" Julius laughed. „Right, you were students at Beacon, so of course you know my twin brother... follow me, we are starting to get weird looks, and I have a meeting to attend to later."

* * *

After another turn in the infernal, confusing hallways of the base, Blake saw a white hooded figure. „Ruby!" Ruby turned around to see her old team mate run towards her. „Stop!", she commanded. Blake was confused. „Wha-" „I've thought long and hard about what I'd do with you if we ever met again..." Ruby slowly walked up to Blake, and punched her with all her might, sending her tumbling to the ground. „Sorry, but I had to get that out." She offered Blake her hand. „Welcome back on the good side."

Uvee came around the corner, panting heavily. „Seriously, those guys wouldn't stop questioning me..." „And who is this?", Ruby asked. Julius answered the question: „This is Miss Uvee Rays, formerly Officer Uvee Rays of the Vacuo City Guard. She was travelling with Miss Belladonna, and Professor Marine from Haven recommended we take her in as well." „Oh boy, we almost have enough people for a team! R-U-B-... Someone's missing...", Ruby pondered. „Seriously, wondering about such things... You really still are Ruby.", Blake laughed.

* * *

„Good! Over here! A little to the left... No, that's too far!" Taiyang hadn't been in charge of preparing such a large - scale operation in ages, but he definitely still had it in him. Although he never had to deal with artillery before...

The Senate was expecting an attack from the East, from Vacuo, which had been taken over by a group of mad cultists calling themselves the „Followers of Grimm", and he was tasked with preparing for it. Or at least that's what Ozpin had said. In a week's time, Ruby was to be restationed to the coast, too. Finally, he would get to meet her again... his daughter...

* * *

Tai always knew Ruby wasn't his daughter. Of course not. How could she? After all, he and Summer didn't have anything between them before Raven left. Okay, maybe one or two kisses, but Summer was the kind of person who put the happiness of others before her own. So he married Raven. That's where the story could have ended. He and his wife happily together and Qrow finally having an opportunity to go after the object of his, sadly rather unrequited, love. But as Raven entered her seventh month of pregnancy, she vanished. The only time he ever heard from her again was when Qrow brought home his little yellow diamond, a diamond that had now shattered as well.

He fell into a deep depression for months after Raven's disappearance. Unable to bear the sight of their friend suffering any longer, Summer left Qrow to be by his side. However, it was not much later they discovered Summer was several months pregnant. There was never any question as to who the father was, but Taiyang and Summer decided it would be best if they married and kept the truth of the situation secret until both Yang and the unborn child were old enough to understand everything.

And so, Ruby and Yang, cousins by blood, grew up as sisters. Taiyang felt terribly sorry for Qrow every time he and Ruby met, but he didn't seem to mind. The day would come when he could hold her in his arms, the day when Tai's pain would have subsided...

...But then Summer, too, disappeared.

He was stuck. He had lost two loves now, and had two daughters to raise all on his own. What should he do? What could he do? The answer came in the form of his old friend: Qrow took it upon himself to watch over Ruby in his stead for most of the time. He sent both his daughters off to combat school at the age of eight, incredibly early. That way, he managed to scrape by. But truth be told...

...He was lonely...

His daughters were staying in Vale most of the year, only coming home during vacation time. It had been hard taking care of them, yes, but it had kept him occupied. During that time, the time he was alone at home, the pain returned. Raven was gone. Summer was gone. His daughters were off in a far off place, where he couldn't help them if anything happened. He had to live with these facts, and before long, the bottle had become his best friend.

When someone visited, he put on a facade. A well kept household without problems. But in truth, he was a wreck. Especially after the incident that ripped his daughters away from him.

And here he was, a broken man, trying to glue himself back together with the help of a child that wasn't even his own.

„I am pathetic..."

* * *

 **Woah! That Taiyang story went out of control here! That was literally 10 minutes of writing and very little thinking. It just shot from my mind directly onto the screen o_0**

 **As you may notice, I'm trying to establish a team around Ruby again. R-U-B-...**

 **If you can guess who the final member or even just the final letter is gonna be (hint: it's a german word with a vowel removed), you'll get Sauerkraut! And now no one's gonna review this chapter and I'm gonna cry myself to sleep again!**

 **...Seriously, I want to get rid of the Sauerkraut my grandma sends me all the time...**


	29. Chapter 28: Departure

**Sunday Funday! It's time for some good ol' Secret War! I really got nothing else to say, so let's jump straight in!**

* * *

 **Chapter 28: Departure**

Mercury and Yang were lying in bed. "Wow, you sure are wild, 'your Highness'", Mercury joked. "You're quite the beast, too. That stamina of yours... Impressive is all I can say to that.", Yang laughed.

For Mercury, it was like a dream come true. He always kept it to himself, but he had had feelings for Yang for quite a long time, practically from the moment she started helping them out. Really... he didn't deserve someone like her. Not him, the son of a whore and a murderer, a failure at almost everything he did.

"Thank you...", he said to her, gently. "Thank you for everything you did for me..." "What're you talking about?", she asked. "I didn't do anything, really." "No", Mercury said, "You've done more for me than I would ever have dreamed about. Well, you didn't do it actively, but the mere fact of you needing me, the fact of you trusting me, has kept me going." Yang sat up and looked at him. "What do you mean? You're not the kind of person to say something like that." Mercury smiled. "No... no, I am not. And that's thanks to you. All of you, but especially you, Yang." He, too, sat up and proceeded to kiss her. "You know... My father died when I was very young, and my mother followed him when I was thirteen." Yang was shocked. "I... I didn't know." "Nah, don't sweat it. It's okay now. That pain is long gone. But nonetheless, it was Summer who saved me back then, and you who closed the hole in my heart." Mercury smiled. "And for that, I thank you."

* * *

The wind blew strong on the day of their departure. They left behind the tribes of Vacuo, only taking their own elite troops with them. Only a handful of people showed up to see them off. Most of the citizens despised them. That was, of course, understandable, but it made Yang sad regardless. No one understood her motives, no one thanked her for what she did. All they saw in her was a monster, a butcher and enslaver. But that was fine. She had long since given up on any pretentions of idealism, at least when it came to how she viewed herself. She was just following along in this predestined play, waiting for her chance to strike and achieve her own goals... Goals that only she could understand...

Mercury was standing on the lower deck of the flagship, looking out at the empty sea. How could he have been so stupid? He was really emberassed. To reveal such a weak side of him to her... Then again, at least he didn't have any secrets anymore.

...Secrets...

Thinking about it, he remembered what Summer had done back then. Should he tell Yang? No... she had gone through so much already... He couldn't, not now. Once all of this was over, he would tell her. But until then, he would let her enjoy her blissful ignorance...

* * *

"So, do you think it's him?", Yang asked Gaeus. Once again, they were meeting in the land between the conscious and subconscious. "No doubt about it... This man is the Fool. The one who sacrifices his life for a one – sided love." Yang sighed. "You know... it's really painful, looking at him like this. All his past selves only wanted to be with my mom, but never got the chance to..." "Well", Gaeus said, "If you care for him, you can change his fate. After all, you ARE a glaring irregularity in the chain of events." Yang leaned back in her chair. "It wouldn't matter either way. I've already decided the form the end of this cycle shall take." "So, you intend to..." A wide grin formed on Yang's face.

"That's right..."

* * *

Ruby, Uvee, Blake, Nora and Ren had all gathered at the Glider docks. Julius was standing before them, with a worried look on his face. "Once you arrive in Vale, be sure to check in with Mister Xiao Long. The Battle of Vacuo is still fresh in everyone's mind, and we don't need more costly defeats. Therefore, organization is of utmost importance. Do you understand?" The five Huntsmen and Huntresses nodded. "If that is so, proceed." The five of them got onto a Glider and set off. It would take them around 36 hours to arrive in Vale...

* * *

 **Yang is planning something, and it doesn't sound good, exactly o_0**

 **Also: I just got the BEST REVIEW EVAAAAAR (!) for the last chapter. I won't give you a name (in fact, it was a guest review), but... just read XD**

 **"Why that bellaBITCH!IF I EVER MEET HER I'LL STRANGLE HER and then KILL RUBY AND THEN ALL HER FRIENDS AND ALLIES WITH A FUCKING HALO SNIPER RIFLE! "**

 **The 12 year olds are invading!**


	30. Chapter 29: Welcome and Farewell Party

**Another chapter of The Secret War... 2 weeks from now, there's gonna be a break. I have to prepare for the Finals (German school system... no want to describe ;_;)**

* * *

 **Chapter 29: Welcome and Farewell Party**

After what seemed like an eternity, the Glider Ruby, Uvee, Blake, Nora and Ren were on arrived in Vale. Immediately after getting off, Ruby was overwhelmed and almost suffocated in the tight hug of her father. "Oooooh, how I've missed you, my little Ruby!" "Ugh! D-dad, I... can't... breathe...", Ruby painstakingly forced out through her windpipe. "Oh, sorry!" He let go of her. "Aaaanyway", Ruby said, "I'm really happy to see you again, too. How many years has it been? Three? Maybe four?" Tai laughed. "In both cases, it has been too long. Come with me, girls! I've prepared something special for you." "I'm not a girl...", Ren quietly protested, but no one seemed to have heard it.

What Tai had in store for them was... special all right. He led them to an expensive looking café. Inside, a giant cake had been set up. "Happy birthday, Ruby!" Confetti exploded from the ceiling. Ruby and her friends were seriously confused. "What's going on, dad? It's not my birthday!" Tai just smiled at her. "C'mon, I missed it the last few years. We have to make up for that." Ruby shook her head. "I can't believe you can be so relaxed at a time like this..." Tai laughed. "It's because of what lies ahead we're having this party. We don't know if everyone will make it, so let's enjoy ourselves while we still can." Just as Ruby was about to raise her voice in protest once again, Nora loudly proclaimed: "I get the first slice!" Ren and Uvee followed her example. Ruby looked over to Blake, hoping for her to take her side. But she was already burying her face in sugar. "Et tu, Blake?"

The party went on for several hours. Nora was making a mess out of the place, Ren was constantly apologizing for her behaviour, Blake and Uvee went to the toilet for half an hour and came back suspiciously sweaty. All the while, Ruby was quietly sitting in the corner, watching the pointless spectacle. Finally, Tai sat down next to her. "You're not happy?", he asked. "Sorry dad, but I can't enjoy this... It was probably really expensive to set all this up, but I'm not in the mood to celebrate. My best friend died recently, and we've got such a big battle ahead... I just can't enjoy this! I can't!"

Tai sighed. "Please, Ruby... don't be like that. You sound just like your mother... before she died." He lowered his face. "That's right... I'm sorry for wasting your time. It's just... this situation reminds me of back then. I... I guess I just didn't want to make the same mistake again. I don't want to lose someone I love without saying goodbye again." "Dad..." Ruby looked down at her feet. What was she doing? Her dad was just trying to make her happy, allow her to relax, but she rejected everything he had offered her. Just when... did she become such a party pooper?

* * *

Yang looked to the setting sun in the west. Somewhere, far, far in that direction was her father. The poor bastard... She felt bad for him, really. He probably had been told she died back then... Well, maybe that was for the better. If it came down to it, they would have to kill him. So, at least to her, it was better if she remained dead to him.

"Well, Merc, how long till we reach the shores of Vale?", she asked Mercury. "We should get there tomorrow night.", he answered. Yang turned back towards the ocean. "Are you afraid?", Mercury asked her. "No. As far as I've come, I can't be. Soon, this will all be over." She looked at him. That's right. Everything would be over...

* * *

 **Short chapter today. Yeah, they've become shorter again, but hey, if you want more Tiberii – goodness and are a fan of the Puella Magi series, Why not check out my fic "Puella Magi Haruka Magica"? #notshamelessatall**


	31. Chapter 30: Vision of the Past

**Heya, everyone... heheh... I'm sorry, half of my weekly writing time was lost to a friend's birthday and the hangover of the following day. I thought I could squeeze it all into one day, but... well, it's almost 10 pm now and I'm just starting this. Right now, this file is titled "I'm a lazy bum ;_;", because I don't think I can manage to write something worthwile and proofread it in just two hours. However, I'm not gonna leave you with just this...**

* * *

 **Chapter 30: Vision of the Past**

Many, many years ago, there existed a world called "Eden". It was a peaceful, fertile world. Its people lived in harrmony and prospered. However, there are always those who seek greater riches for themselves and try to divide people for their own gains.

It is said that the followers of a certain cult from this time believed the Universe was governed by two complementary powers: Chaos and Order, and that every generation, a Prophet of Balance would be born who would tame the Chaos and maintain the freedom of the world.

Powerful people began conspiring. They found the Prophet of Balance and locked him away. They planned to utilize the Chaos to justify their rule as a re-establishment of Order.

As the natural way of the world had been disturbed, the two forces awoke to fight each other. The destruction was unlike anything it's orchestrators could've ever imagined. They came to the Prophet, seeking his aid, but he had already decided to take his own life. In their desperation, They took his cells and created two beings from his genetic information: The True Prophets, meant to control both Order and Chaos.

While Order could be captured and came under the influence of the conspirators, Chaos evaded them and, eventually, died before it could be absorbed by the Prophet meant for it, falling back into the sea of reincarnation.

The battle had laid waste to Eden. Life could no longer continue there, and so its people set out for their moon, which would later come to be called "Remnant" as a constant reminder of the past... or at least, that's how it should have been. Over time, the Humans forgot about their old home, reverting back to more primitive forms of society. Meanwhile, the Prophets, kept alive through the power of Order, had been freed from their masters' yoke. Nonetheless, they continued to strive towards the goal they were created for: To become the vessels for the Gods. To achieve this, the True Prophet of Order established the "Senatus Saecula Ordinem" – the Senate of Eternal Order - to control Remnant, hoping to find the next reincarnation of Chaos.

However, the world's fragile balance had been shifted. The people no longer prospered, and wars and famine raged. This gave rise to the Grimm – shards of the power of Chaos – that drove Humanity near extinction. However, with the rediscovery of the power of Dust – a mineral commonly found on Eden's surface but buried underground on Remnant – they managed to once again strike a balance, even though the world had become vastly more chaotic.

Despite his best efforts, the True Prophet of Order could never manage to capture Chaos for his powerless "brother". To maintain the existing balance and keep the world alive, he made use of proxies, the "Guardians" to whom he granted Order's powers, to fight the incarnations of Chaos, hoping to one day be able to capture them.

And so, the pointless cycle came to be. How long has it been? Six thousand years? Maybe seven? And now, we've finally reached a point at which the chains of that destiny may be broken.

This is getting to be quite interesting, don't you think?

* * *

 **I AM NOT A LAZY BUM! Half an hour, WOOHOO!**

 **Reminder: I have to prepare for my finals next week, so no new chapter.**


	32. Chapter 31: Hard Landing

**Hello again! It's been a while, hasn't it? My Biology exam went well, and now it's Spring Break in Germany, so I may get some more of this done. We're actually approaching some sort of a milestone - like point in the story again, akin to what went down in and around Chapter 10 (though without a time jump this time XD). There's still quite a bit ahead of us, but I think we're definitely over halfway through.**

* * *

 **Chapter 31: Hard Landing**

If silence alone could kill, everyone there, whether on shore or on the ships, would have died a truly horrifying death. Not even the seagulls dared to raise their voices in the hours leading up to the invasion. Attackers and defenders alike just stood on their posts, menacingly staring at each other, nothing but a few kilometers of seawater separating them.

"Twenty minutes 'till we reach the shore. Shall we get the landing craft ready?" Mercury stared at Yang, waiting for an answer. He, like everyone else, was very anxious in the face of their largest battle yet. The slight swaying of his lover's golden hair in the salty breeze was the only thing giving him comfort.

"...Yes, of course. Send Neo's group to the south, Jaune and Pyrrha shall attack their northern flank. You, Emerald and Summer will make your way through the middle a few minutes later while I fly over on Hei and give a bit of air support. Remember: Our goal is not to defeat their army, but to reach Beacon with as few losses as possible."

He nodded. "Still no news from Velvet, though..."

Yang sighed. "Let's hope she does her part quickly. We can't have that man interfering at such a critical point in the plan, after all..."

Mercury still didn't fully grasp what she was referring to. He just trusted her and nodded.

* * *

Through the binoculars, Ruby could see her: That... demon. That thing that was wearing her sister's skin like some kind of high quality Halloween costume. She stopped looking after a few seconds, feeling sick in her stomach. Her father was standing to her left. Had he been told what had happened to his elder daughter? Ruby didn't dare to ask him about it.

Uvee, Blake, Nora and Ren were all in position on a cliff about two hundred meters to the north. They were to make sure to counter a possible pincer attack on the main force assembled on the side of the small sand dunes, facing the sea.

From afar, they could see the landing craft getting readied. These few nutshells could probably hold a few hundred to a thousand soldiers max. But Ruby knew what they were getting into. Their foes would be fierce, brutal – the most dangerous fugitives from all over Remnant had gathered behind the Queen of Grimm.

With a deafening roar, the artillery started firing. Even though they had had weeks to prepare, the Senate was very strict with their budget. 22 shells – that's all they had, so they couldn't afford to waste a single one. And they didn't. One of the ships in the back was hit dead center and snapped in two.

* * *

The sound of the explosion only a few meters behind her deafened Pyrrha for a brief moment. Their ship had been hit! "Jaune! We need to get out of here!" No response. She turned around, but where Jaune had been standing just half a minute ago, talking to a messenger from the flagship, there now was only splintered wood and bent steel beams. "No..."

One of the surviving crew members rushed over to her. "Lady Nikos, the lifeboats are ready! Come, quick!" Pyrrha was frozen in place. She didn't even hear what the man was saying. "Jaune..."

* * *

"Alright! Gett the Yang Cannon! Such a strike demands a fitting response!" The deck opened up and from below emerged that ridiculous cannon Yang had claimed as her own. Slowly, the shaft was lowered and aimed at the main force in the center of the beach. "Fire!" The recoil from the cannon made the ship shake and almost roll over, but its effect on the enemy was way more devastating: Most of the troops defending the middle of the beach had turned into a mess of sand, blood and mangled body parts.

Only moments after that devastating blow, the landing craft on the flanks reached the shore. Seasoned warriors from all over Remnant poured out of them, ready to die for their Queen. However, only one lone general could be seen leading the northern flank: A red haired woman, cutting down robots and human soldiers alike in a wild frenzy, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Ren and Nora stood on the edge of the cliff, watching in disbelief. "P - pyrrha!?" Down there, slaughtering their allies, was a friend they had thought to be dead for years. "Blake!? What's going on!? Why is Pyrrha...!?"

For the first time since Blake knew her, Nora looked confused and sad at the same time. "That – I forgot... They're the same as I was, Pyrrha, and Jaune, too. They are being fooled by the monster that was once our friend!"

Nora looked over to Ren. He was... he was completely fixated on Pyrrha. She, too... they couldn't do this. They couldn't kill their friend...

Blake looked at her, and sighed. "I know how you feel. I won't hold it against you if you want to stay behind... But I'm going. I'll try to reason with her, but if it comes down to it, I won't show her any mercy."

Nora tried to grab her arm and stop her, but her arms didn't want to follow her brain's orders. Blake jumped down the cliff and onto the battlefield, Uvee following after her. Nora still stood there, not knowing what to do. "Nora..." Ren looked at her with a sad expression. "I'm... I'm going, too." "No... wait..." Nora tried to reach out to him. Her arms and legs were like pudding at this point. "I'm sorry... very, very sorry..." He turned around and jumped down. She was alone. Nora was completely alone. Why? Why did it all turn out like this. They were all friends, weren't they? For the first time in many years, Nora genuinely cried.

* * *

The battle on both flanks was in full swing, but Ruby was too clever to fall into that trap. She knew exactly what the Queen of Grimm was attempting to do. Behind the Artillery, a group of 500 men was waiting to block any attempts to break through the middle and advance inland. They also had some mortars, just in case they brought the Wyvern they used in the Battle of Vacuo.

A lone landing craft arrived on the shore between the battlefields. Three people came out and started advancing towards Ruby and Tai at an incredible speed. Ruby took out crescent rose and started to shoot, but those three were quick on their feet. As they came closer, she recognized them as Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black. This was geting interesting! These three had once snuck their way into Beacon in service of the original Queen of Grimm. They were no pushovers, that much was certain. Ruby morphed her weapon into its scythe form and got into a fighting stance, anticipating the first strike, likely from Emerald. What she didn't expect, however, was an attack from above...

The bomb Yang had dropped was small and landed a little off – mark, but it did its job regardless. Ruby flew off to the side while Summer, Emerald and Mercury pushed through. The only one left standing in their way was...

"...Tai?"

As she saw her husband, Summer stopped dead in her tracks. What was he doing here?

"Do I know you?" He glared at her, readying his sword.

That's right, how could she forget? To him, she died almost two decades ago. Of course he wouldn't recognize her. Not with this fake face, anyway. Right here, right now, he was her enemy. An enemy she was not supposed to fight, didn't want to fight. She looked around. Emerald and Mercury had run on ahead. As she tried to follow them, however, a bullet flew by just millimeters in front of her face. Ruby had gotten up and was ready to fight. "Oh my", she sighed and conjured up her dual swords. "What a mess I've gotten myself into..."

* * *

The battle to the north was brutal. One couldn't differenciate between corpses and the wounded anymore; anything that fell to the ground was sure to get trampled to goo at this point. But near a small cliff stood three women and a man, far from the chaos.

Blake glared at Pyrrha, her eyes burning with anger. "Lay down your weapon right now! You don't know what Yang is planning to -"

Pyrrha tried to stab her. "Shut up! Shutupshutupshutup!" Her attacks were relentless. Uvee could do nothing but watch, scared to accidentally hit Blake.

With a swift kick, Pyrrha managed to knock Blake back "I know why we had all these problems now: It was you, wasn't it!? You betrayed us! And because of that... because of that... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" With all her might, she thrust her blade towards the Faunus girl. It hit something, and blood spewed out. But as her rage started to cool off and she regained her senses, Pyrrha realized it was not Blake she had stabbed...

...But Ren.

* * *

Mercury and Emerald had already passed the artillery. "What a piece of cake.", Mercury remarked as they approached the forest. "Just down this hill and then..."

As they reached the top of a small hill, they were met with a worrisome sight: An entire army was lying in wait at the bottom, standing in their way. "Mercury?", Emerald said, clearly nervous. "Yes?" "Never comment on how easy something is again or I'm gonna kick your balls so hard they come out of your mouth..."

* * *

 **Hard landing is a very fitting title for this one: A week of not writing really has taken its toll on my memories. This made it especially hard, because a lot of characters that haven't met in a long time and didn't know they would meet in such a way met this chapter... ah, who am I kidding? I simply forgot half the plotlines at first and had to dive into earlier chapters XD**


	33. Chapter 32: Fierce Battle

**Quite the cliffhanger last time, was it not? Anyway, the invasion of Vale continues...**

* * *

 **Chapter 32: Fierce Battle**

They certainly hadn't anticipated this: Just behind their artillery, the bulk of the Senate's forces had been lying in wait. And Mercury and Emerald had wandered straight into that trap. What should they do? Fighting their way through might be an option, if Yang could give them air support. But between the enemy ranks, Mercury could see at least a dozen mortars, so something like that would be rather tricky...

"Let's fall back for now.", Mercury suggested. Taking them head on was not the way to go here. Instead, they may be able to sneak around in the cover of the artillery towers. They would just have to make sure to stay close to the walls. Emerald seemed to agree, and nodded. They slowly began to back off, constantly keeping an eye on the enemy, who seemed rather content to sit and wait for them. As soon as the heads of the Senatorial Knights disappeared behind the hill, they turned around and ran.

* * *

"Look who we have here..." Ruby and Tai were circling Summer, looking for an opening. Focusing on two opponents on opposite sides was difficult and would have been outright impossible if she only had one blade. Even crueler was the fact that those two opponents were people she wanted to protect. Her daughter... her love... neither of them recognized her. She had known for a long time that this day would come eventually, but even still, it tore her heart apart.

Maintaining her defensive stance was tiring. Turning around constantly, it would only be a matter of time until she would make a mistake, allowing one of them to strike. She had to go on the offensive... But how? And who should she attack? Taking a glance at the ground below her feet, Summer remembered where they were...

With all her might, she kicked up sand, blinding Ruby and throwing Tai off. Taking on Ruby was impossible at her level of strength, so Tai was going to be her opponent. She tried to strike his arm, but he blocked the blow. "Woah! Don't get cocky, bitch!" He grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground. He tried to follow up by ramming his sword into her chest, but she rolled out of the way just in time. Since when was the old idiot so good at fighting? Looking at him, she realized it: Deep within his eyes, far behind the fury and bloodlust, lay a deep sadness. The reason he was fighting so viciously...

...was her. Summer Xiao Long – Rose. Of course... Everyone thought she died fighting the Queen of Grimm. It was only natural that he wanted not only revenge, but to spare his daughter the same fate.

She couldn't do it. She couldn't continue fighting him. So she ran. She ran, as fast as her feet would carry her, to the south. To her allies. "I'm... such an idiot!" She thought these words, over and over again as the distance between her and the pursuing Tai slowly grew.

* * *

"Ren? Ren? Say something! Please!" Blake was holding the limp body of her friend. Everyone was in shock, trying their hardest to grasp what had just happened. Uvee, on the sidelines, cowering and shaking. Pyrrha, staring at the bloodied blade in her hand. From the gaping hole in his chest outwards, his blood began to color his clothes a deep crimson. "S – sorry... I guess I... kinda messed up..." His voice was shaky, and his eyes clouded.

"Ren!" Nora jumped down from atop the cliff and ran towards them. It couldn't be! It couldn't be! There was no way Ren would -

As Nora reached them, Ren's heart had already stopped beating. There was nothing she could do anymore but stare into his eyes that were devoid of light. "Nora, I... I didn't...! I didn't mean to...!" Pyrrha turned around and ran. How far had she fallen? That girl, that idol Nora once looked up to? Nothing was left but a murderous coward! She gently closed Ren's eyes for the last time, and took off in pursuit.

* * *

What took the others so long? Yang had already reached the mountains, having circumvented the hidden army waiting in the back. What kind of plan was that, anyway? Targeting a small airship, mortars might've been useful, but not against a Black Wyvern like Hei. Couldn't they have, at least, spared a flak or two? What was the Senate planning?

Then, it dawned on her. This was Nero's doing, wasn't it? He had kept the budget for this mission low on purpose. But why? What would he, an intruder to this eternal, cyclical limbo, gain from allowing her, and only her, to pass? She had to be careful...

* * *

Mercury and Emerald were advancing north. The battle there raged down at the beach, and they could easily avoid the army waiting in the center this way. Was the Senate really that stupid? Letting their forces get caught in essentially two different battles and having the rest be this easily circumventable... There had to be another trap laid out somewhere...

It turned out this was the case indeed: As soon as they entered a small forest by a cliff, the explosions started. If not for his Aura, Mercury would have been blown to bits immediately. Landmines! Friggin' landmines! There was no way they were getting through here. The entire area was likely encircled with them. Mercury sighed. "There really is no way around it, is there? We're gonna have to fight fair and square, won't we?" They started heading towards the northern battlefield. This was going poorly... Very poorly...

* * *

The southern battlefield had already turned into a sea of blood and scrap metal by the time Summer came close enough to make anything out. Who had won? Neo and her gang? Or the enemy...? As soon as she saw that iconic hat atop a red head, she knew the answer. It seemed like the tides had turned in her favor...

As she came closer, her comerades noticed her. Braun waved vigorously, until he realized she was running away from someone. The entire group started getting ready to fight... What was she doing!? If she led him here, he would be killed, without a doubt! No, she had to change course immediately! She started running further inland, away from her confused allies. Looking behind her, Tai was still following her. The relief that brought was short lived, though, as moments later, something exploded under her foot...

* * *

Nora stared down at Pyrrha. Her head crushed with the power of Magnhild, a pool of blood started forming on the ground below.

"Why?", she asked the mangled corpse that had once been her friend, "Why? When...? When did it all..."

"...go wrong?"

* * *

 **Welp, team JNPR is basically defunct now. If you still want to tell me the name of Ruby's new team, know that the Sauerkraut offer is void (I ate it). Welp, I'm off to watch some JoJo.**


	34. Chapter 33: Rest

**Oh man... I need to finish Tales of Symphonia quick! I almost forgot about writing Chapter 33 XD**

* * *

 **Chapter 33: Rest**

Slowly, Summer opened her eyes. What happened? The last thing she remembered was a quiet clicking noise, followed by a deafeningly loud bang and an intense pain in her left leg. The place she was in was dark and damp, likely one of the many small crevices in the rocks on the southern end of the beach how did she get here? Looking to the right, she was met with a truly unexpected sight: Tai, who had been chasing her before she fell unconscious, was sitting next to her. A stream of blood was flowing down from his forehead. Instinctively, she tried to wipe off the blood, but as soon as Tai noticed, he stopped her. "Oi, you're playing a dangerous game there, little lady! You're lucky the Senate's put your face on their list of people they wanna interrogate, else I would've gutted you right then and there!" She looked him in the eyes. "So... I'm your prisoner now?" Avoiding her gaze, he answered: "No shit, Sherl- Hngh!" Tai put his hand on his forehead. "Your wound..." Summer tried to brush his hand aside to get a look. Tai was too overtaken by pain to realize this, as he did not block her this time. "This looks bad! Something's buried itself into your skull!" She needed to stop the bleeding, or he was going to pass out soon. She ripped off the end of her skirt and bandaged his wound. "Thanks...", Tai said, not really sure what to make of her actions. "Could it be that we've... met somewhere before?" This was the question Summer had been afraid of. She couldn't tell him, no matter what! Even though she wanted to cry, to fall into his arms, she couldn't let him know. After all...

...she wasn't even alive anymore. She was nothing but a shell, a corpse reanimated to serve the Queen of Grimm. How could he love her as she was now? "No, as far I remember", she answered, looking away so he couldn't see her crying.

They sat there, for what seemed like hours. Eventually, it started to rain outside. "I wonder if the battle's over by now...", Tai mumbled to himself. They only realized it now that the rain was falling, but it had been eerily quiet outside for quite some time now. "I hope Yang's okay..." "Hold on! What did you just say!?" Shit! She had been careless for a moment! How was she supposed to explain herself out of this. As she was about to open her mouth, to tell him some lie, he started to smile and relaxed. "Man, why didn't I notice it sooner? Your face might've changed, but your mannerisms and way of speaking have stayed the same, havent they? Summer..." She sighed. "Could've figured. Hiding something from you is impossible, isn't it?" He looked up at the ceiling. Water was dripping through a small opening. "I wonder... what is Yang trying to accomplish? Just what in the world is she trying to do?" "I... I think I can tell you, Tai. At least as far as I understood it." There was no point in hiding anything at this point. No, in a way, telling him might've been the only thing she could do to help Yang at this point. "Do you know of the eternal cycle? The fated battle between the Guardian and the Queen of Grimm?" He shook his head. "I've heard some vague stuff, but... I'm not really sure what any of it means." Summer explained everything to him: About the two gods representing Chaos and Order, about the endless cycle that has shaped the fates of countless universes preceeding their own. "So... the thing Yang's now trying to do is..." Summer nodded. "Yes, she is trying to..."

"...reset the universe. To start from square one."

Tai still couldn't believe it. "Why? Why is she doing this?" Summer smiled a sad smile. "Because this world... is beyond saving. Eden has been destroyed, and Remnant is not a world that can sustain life on its own. Its ecosystem depends on massive climate control systems powered by energy that isn't dust based. Give it another thirty to fourty years and all life in this universe would come to an end." She looked out of the crevice. The rain had gotten stronger. It would be a while until they could come out without getting wet. "Knowing this...", she asked Tai, "Do you still intend to stand in her way?" He remained silent for a long time. Finally, he spoke: "I understand that she thinks this is the only way... But that may not be he case. I know a man... Consul Nero... who might have another solution. A way to save everyone, without abandoning this universe." "Nero..." Summer was curious. "I wonder what he's up to..."

* * *

Nero sat alone in his chamber. By now, the battle on the shores of Vale should be over, and the Maiden of Chaos should have started her lone journey towards Beacon. "Soon... soon, my mistress, this world will be freed, and your mother may finally rest in peace..."

* * *

 _ **Exposition, exposition, bullshit to the Nth degree...**_

 **Okay, this chapter was HEAVY on the exposition about the greater, cosmic layer of this story. Who or what exactly is Nero? I won't tell... yet...**

 **By the way, if you wonder what happened to Sun and Neptune: I actually completely forgot about them, so for the sake of the story, let's just say they died with all the other people back in Chapter 10...**


	35. Chapter 34: Enigma

**Hello there! We're approaching something I would call the "End Game" with this fanfiction. I think we may not even reach the 50 chapter mark. Definitely the 40 chapter mark, though.**

* * *

 **Chapter 34: Enigma**

"Thanks, Miss Scarlatina." Consul Julius took a cup from Velvet's tray and put it on the desk. "I must say, I was quite surprised when I heard that someone of your... expertise would apply for the humble position of secretary, but it seems like fighting is not your only specialty." "Thank you, sir." She bowed down, secretly wishing for this elitist asshole's untimely demise. She had been working in this creepy, sterile base for almost two weeks now, and she could feel her sanity spiraling downwards every waking second. That Nero guy was untouchable! Poison, booby traps, even the rigged elevator... He avoided all attempts at assassination like it was just part of his daily routine ...Then again, there were quite a few suspicious accidents that had not been her fault. What was it with that pesky Consul? Why did everyone want him dead?

Velvet was walking past the conference room in Sector Six as the door suddenly opened and someone bumped into her, sending the tray she was holding flying. "I'm terribly sorry, Miss Scarlatina." That voice... That smug grin... It was Nero. "Oh, erm..." Velvet was too surprised to say anything. "Come now." He extended his hand towards her. "Letting a lady soak in a puddle of coffee like this would be rather rude. Please, let me help you get up." Reluctantly, she took his hand. "There we go... Actually, this coincidence is quite convenient. I wanted to talk to you about something. Let us head to my chamber..." He looked at the shattered cups on the floor. "...after we clean up, of course." This was it! This was her chance at killing this bastard! She would just have to play along until they were in his room and the door was closed, and then she could plunge a knife into his fucking carotid! The only question was how she'd escape afterwards, but she could figure that out after the fact.

After they had mopped up all the coffee and disposed of the porcelain shards, they headed for the Consul's Quarters in Sector One. Velvet had never been here, as access was restricted to the three Consuls that were in office at any given time, and could consequently only be entered with the help of a code. Finally, they had reached his room. All Velvet needed to do now was- "Oh, have you forgotten your knife, my cute little bunny?" Everything around her turned ice cold in an instant. She had been caught! Why? Why did she not see this coming? ...Maybe she WAS going insane? Nero just laughed. "Don't worry, Miss 'Scarlatina'! I neither intend to harm you, nor to report you to security." Velvet didn't even register what he said anymore. She was fucked! She was completely and royally fucked!

"Good grief..." Nero put his right hand on her head. "My mistress, I beg of you to restore this soul to its original state!" A blinding light filled the room. Velvet... remembered. She remembered so many lives, so many tragedies. She remembered the time she was Weiss Schnee, the times she was revered as a saint, the times she was feared as a monster... The time she became one with Enas, and the time at which they split apart. "Welcome back, Miss Li..." Velvet shook her head. "I... I..." She collapsed.

* * *

Mercury had almost given up walking at this point, but in the distance, smoke rose high above the tree tops. He could only hope this was her camp... Emerald was limping, being supported mostly by his shoulder. Her right leg would probably remain useless for the better part of a month.

It seemed like his prayers had been heard, as he dragged himself the last few meters,before arriving on a small clearing. Yang, Neo, Roman... everyone was there... Slowly, he closed his eyes and fell asleep from the exhaustion of their dozens of kilometers long journey.

* * *

 **Another short one, sorry. A lot of tests are coming my way, and I really don't have the strength to write right now (the cold I currently have isn't helping, either). In two weeks, however, all that will change: I will have all the time in the world until September, when I start going to university, so hopefully I'llget this fic done in that time frame.**


	36. Chapter 35: Last Stop

**Ah, almost done with school :D Soon, I'll have much more time for the most important thing in life: Fanfiction (please, kill me...)**

* * *

 **Chapter 35: Last Stop**

A ray of light falling into his tent finally awoke Mercury from his slumber. His entire body... it felt like he had been hit with a car (not at full speed, thankfully). His vision was initially very blurry, but his eyes soon regained full sight. He smiled as he saw Yang cuddling up to him from the left. Had she kept watch over him the entire night?

He tried to get up without waking her, but as soon as he moved, she let out a big yawn. "Mornin'...", she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. He took a good look at her. Her skin was pale, her hair was messy and her eye bags were huge. "Are you not feeling well, Yang?", he asked. "No, I'm fine... haven't gotten a lotta sleep these past few days, though." She tried to stand up, but almost instantly fell down on her knees again. "Who are you kidding!?" Mercury was giving her a look that was equal parts worried and angry. "It's pretty clear something's not right!" She yawned once more. "It's fine, really. And even if it wasn't, that wouldn't matter in the slightest. Not now, when we are so close to our goal..." she slumped over. This was bad! Mercury jumped up and burst out of the tent. But what he saw outside shocked him to his core...

* * *

He was surrounded by a sea of flames. Why? How was it possible not to see this chaos from inside the tent!? The tent? What tent? The tent he had just left was gone, replaced with a large, open square made of cold, shining metal. What was this madness?

Sitting on the ground, not far from him, was a woman, holding a baby in her arms. Close to her, a man lay on the floor, completely still. Mercury tried to get closer, but the flames kept him at bay. Another man, dressed in a long coat, approached the woman, pointing what seemed to be a handgun at her. "Finally", he spoke, "Finally, I can become complete..." The woman tried to cover up the baby, using her arms. "You... Monster... You really do not possess a soul, do you?" The man burst out laughing. "Do you have one? Because no matter how I look at it, you just destroyed the entire capital. How many have died, I wonder? Sixty, maybe seventy million? No, you are but a mere shell, a container housing the power I yearn for... Lessaiah..." He had to help her! For some reason, Mercury knew he had to save this woman he had never met before. But even though he wanted to kick this man's face in, even though he was ready to break through the flames, he couldn't move. His body did not respond to his brain's commands anymore. So he could do nothing but watch.

The woman gently lowered her child to the ground. "Fine... if it's my power you want, you can go piss off!" An incredibly strong aura began to surround the woman. "Let me show you a glimpse of the true despair only a human can know, you false Prophet!" A blinding light flashed and Mercury was blown away by an incredible force.

* * *

"Mercury?" Emerald put her hand on his shoulder. He was... outside the tent. "Wha... What the hell was that?", he wondered. "That's what I wanna know! You came blastin' out of there and started babbling unintelligible gibberish before spacin' out completely!" He shook his head. "I don't know... I feel kinda strange, like... like I've been gone for a long time." He looked down. "Heh. I see your leg's okay again." "Yeah." Emerald blushed. "I guess... I guess I have to thank you... Without your help, I would've collapsed in the middle of the woods there." "No problem! We're pals, after all!" "Yeah..." She smiled. "Pals..."

* * *

In the evening, a meeting was held in the Queen's tent. "Alright.", Yang started as the last of her allies arrived. "Tomorrow, we will begin with 'Operation Shining Beacon'. We already went over the basic plans last time, so I'll spare you the boring dribble and cut straight to the chase: The three people I have decided to be my escorts." The athmosphere got tense immediately. Who did she pick? Roman? Emerald? Maybe Braun? "Originally, I intended to have Neo, Pyrrha and Summer accompany me, but since two of them are, sadly, not with us anymore, I have decided that Roman and Mercury shall take their place." Mercury was confused. "Hold on a second! I'm kinda out of the loop here. Could you explain what happened to Pyrrha and Summer?" Yang stared at him. It was clear she was trying her best not to cry, and he regretted asking already. "Pyrrha fell in battle... And Summer..." "She was captured by the enemy!", Emerald finished for her. "We tried to pursue the man who took her, but we lost sight of him. We don't know where she is, or even whether she's still alive or not." Mercury clutched his chest. She was gone! She had been there for him from the very beginning, from the day his mother died, and now... that woman... was gone!? What a cruel joke...

* * *

It was late at night, the lamps of the base had already been turned down to emitt only a slight glow. It was at this late hour that Consul Julius, one of the most powerful men on Remnant, and Velvet Scarlatina, A lowly secretary, passed by each other on the hallway leading to the chamber the Guardian resided in. As they did, they both began to smile. The goal was within reach, for both of them. The only question was: Whose vision would triumph in the end?

* * *

 **Huff! That took longer than it should have, based on the number of words! Anyway, I want to use this section to talk about a few things:**

 **1: How the battle at the beach ended was originally left ambiguous because I didn't have any good ideas on how to write that part, but I got a rough idea on how it went down now. However, I'll leave it up for speculation regardless.**

 **2: I recently got a bit of criticism for Uvee's and Blake's relationship. It went too fast and, until now, didn't really go anywhere. I feel terribly sorry for the -3 Uvee fans out there, because there isn't even any room in the story anymore to flesh that out. In general, I'm really sorry about how underdeveloped most of my OCs (not counting the ones connected to the Order and Chaos cycle) turned out. With how much time I had to spend preparing for tests and with such a ridiculously huge character cast, this was bound to happen.**

 **3: Team names:**

 **Yang, Roman, Neo, Mercury: Team MRYN (can be twisted to sound like a marine shade of blue; really, it's a stretch, but I want to have these characters present at the climax)**

 **Ruby, Uvee, Blake, Nora: Team RUBN (as in: RUB-i-N(Rubin), the German word for Ruby)**

 **And no one gets Sauerkraut! Ich bin enttäuscht!**


End file.
